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  Strategies for Organizing Your Ideas Writers need strategies that make writing systematic but do not stifle inventiveness. For this reason, most writers begin drafting with some type of plan — a list, a scratch outline, or a detailed storyboard like that used by filmmakers. Outlines can be very helpful, but they must be tentative […]

HOW WRITING IS LEARNED 9 I don’t see writing as a communication of something already discovered, as “truths” already known. Rather, I see writing as a job of experiment. It’s like any discovery job; you don’t know what’s going to happen until you try it. — WILLIAM STAFFORD Don’t tear up the page and start

Strategies for Discovering New Ideas Few writers begin writing with a complete understanding of a subject. Most use writ- ing as a means of discovery — that is, as a way to learn about the subject, trying out ideas and information they have collected, exploring connections and implications, and reviewing what they have written in

Your Experience with Different Genres of Writing Make two lists: one of the genres you have read — for example, Tweets from your friends; music reviews on iTunes — and another of genres you have written — for example, e-mails to your parents; job applications; or a paper for your American his- tory class. Try

Reading to Design Texts That Work Writers have long recognized that no matter how well organized, well reasoned, or compelling a piece of writing may be, the way it looks on the page influences to some extent how well it works for readers. Today, writers have more options for designing their documents than ever before.

Reading to Write Texts That Work To learn the conventions of a particular genre, you need to read examples of that genre so that you begin to recognize its predictable patterns as well as the possibili- ties for innovation. At the same time, you should also practice writing in the genre. Read, read, read. .

  Learning to Write by Reading Believe it: Reading will help you become a better writer. In fact, most professional writers are avid readers who read not only for enjoyment and information but also to refine their craft. Reading to Understand How Texts Work Readers will have specific expectations of a text as soon as

How You Became Literate Write a page or two describing how and why you became literate and what happened as a result. You may choose to write about your early memories of learning to read and write either at home or at school. Or you could think of literacy more broadly, focusing, for example, on

Writing Promotes Success in College and at Work As a student, you are probably aware of the many ways writing can contribute to your success in school. Students who learn to write for different readers and purposes do well in courses throughout the curriculum. Eventually, you will need to use writing to advance your career

WHY WRITING IS IMPORTANT 3 basic beliefs. Writing an evaluation requires that you think about what you val- ue and how your values compare to those of others. Perhaps most important, becoming an author confers authority on you; it gives you confidence to assert your own ideas and feelings. In a very real sense, the