Writing and the WriterExploring the relationship between the writer and what he/she happens to be writing, this text by one of the foremost scholars in the field of literacy and cognition is a unique and original examination of writing--as a craft and as a cognitive activity. The book is concerned with the physical activity of writing, the way the nervous system recruits the muscles to move the pen or manipulate the typewriter. It considers the necessary disciplines of writing, such as knowledge of the conventions of grammar, spelling, and punctuation. In particular, there is a concern with how the skills underlying all these aspects of writing are learned and orchestrated. This second edition includes many new insights from the author's significant experience and from recent research, providing a framework for thinking about the act of writing in both theoretical and practical ways. A completely new chapter on computers and writing is included, as well as more about the role of reading in learning to write, about learning to write at all ages, and about such controversial issues as whether and how genre theory should be taught. Written in nontechnical language, this text will continue to be accessible and stimulating to a wide range of readers concerned with writing, literacy, thinking, and education. Furthermore, it has an educational orientation, therefore proving relevant and useful to anyone who teaches about writing or endeavors to teach writing. |
Contents
| 1 | |
2 Why Write?
| 7 |
Collaboration and Competition | 19 |
4 The Thought Behind language | 27 |
5 Putting Meaning into Words | 49 |
Spoken and Written | 69 |
7 The WriterReader Contract | 87 |
8 The Act of Writing | 103 |
11 The Tools of the Trade | 161 |
12 learning to be a Writer | 177 |
13 learning the Technicalities | 193 |
14 The Writing Teacher | 217 |
Retrospect and Second Thoughts | 233 |
Notes | 241 |
| 267 | |
| 281 | |
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Common terms and phrases
act of writing actually adults alphabet alternative appropriate arcade games argue aspects of writing audience author’s aware become begin brain classroom cognitive science complex composition computers concern context conventions deep structure demonstration develop difficult discussion e. e. cummings editing English example expectations fact formal grammar genre global intentions groundwork hypertexts ideas imagination individual interaction interest keyboard kind learners learning to write letters listener logographic matter meaning memory Notes to Chapter one’s organized ourselves paper paragraph particular perhaps person possible problem produce punctuation reader’s reading reason reflect relationships relevant represent sense sentence sequence skills sounds specification speech spelling spoken language stories subvocal surface structure talk teachers theory things thought tion topic transcription transformational grammar understand usually word processor writers and readers writing systems written language