Prentice Hall Guide for
College Writers
Chapter One -- Myths and Rituals
Steve Wood -- TCCC
The Mythology of Writing
There are a number of myths
about writing and writing courses.
Elvis Mythology
Unlike the persistent myths of sightings of a living, slim, happy Elvis, these
writing myths can be harmful.
Writing Myths
• Good writers are born, not made.
• Writing courses are just about grammar.
• Writing courses are just creative writing,
like poems and short stories.
• Writing courses are of no value in the
workplace.
Answers to Common Writing
Myths
• Good writers are made,
not born.
• Writing courses are
about rhetoric, the art of
getting your point
across.
• All writing is creative.
• Communication skills
are crucial in the
workplace.
The Skill of Writing
• Writing is a skill like any other.
• It can be learned, practiced, and
improved.
• As Gore Vidal and others have pointed
out, a writer is someone who writes,
nothing more complicated than that.
• You are already a writer.
• Most of what passes for talent in writing
is experience and perception.
From Stephen King …
Grammar vs. Rhetoric
In medieval times, the
foundation of an
education was based
upon the trivium, three
of the seven liberal arts
that were considered
primary. These three
were logic, rhetoric,
and grammar.
The Trivium
While being related, the
three parts of the trivium
dealt with separate
subjects. Logic was the
study of reasoning.
Rhetoric was the art of
making persuasive
arguments. Grammar was
the study of the rules for
using language.
Rhetoric
Both logic and grammar were
ultimately to be used in service to
rhetoric.
That is still the case today.
Rhetoric
The study of writing is, in reality, the
study of rhetoric, the art of making
points effectively.
Grammar
Grammar is important
because it represents a
shared communicative
tradition that allows us to
get our point across.
Grammar is an art that
works in the service of
rhetoric.
From Stephen King …
Communication in the
Workplace
How important are
communication skills,
including writing, in the
workplace?
According to a major
report prepared by
the US Dept. of Labor
in 1992, there are five
essential areas of
competence necessary
for success in the
workplace.
Going 5/5
All five areas involve
communication.
SCANS
Report
Writing Rituals
• Rituals are repeated
patterns of behavior
(habits) that help us
accomplish certain
tasks (including writing).
• Rituals help us feel
comfortable in writing
and also help us write
effectively.
• Every writer’s set of
rituals are different.
Writing Rituals
Writing rituals include
the tools we prefer to
use, the formats in which
we prefer to work, the
locations where we do
our best work, and the
strategies we use when
writing.
Useful Rituals for ENG 111
Writers
• Keeping a journal
• Freewriting
• Peer editing
Keeping a Journal
• Keeping a
journal can
make you a
better writer in a
number of ways.
Keeping a Journal
• A journal is a place to practice, safely
away from a teacher’s red pen.
• A journal is a place to collect ideas.
• A journal is also a place to record the
events of your life.
Freewriting
• Freewriting (also known as sprint
writing) is a form of brainstorming in
which you just choose a topic and write
down everything that occurs to you.
• Freewriting differs from brainstorming in
that you write out your ideas in
sentence form, thus creating a sort of
stream-of-consciousness text.
Peer Editing
• Peer editing is when you allow a peer to
look over your writing to provide
feedback.
• The value of peer editing is to have a
fresh set of eyes examining your writing
for clarity and organization as well as
helping you find errors.