Quiet Talks on Writing from Sources

Quiet Talks on Writing from Sources

I read and respond to about 1800 student essays per calendar year. Most of the them are papers based upon assigned reading. Autopsies of students' writing usually yield one conclusive result--writing can fail at two levels, the strategy--planning level, or the presentation level .

Unfortunately, writing teachers, and self-help books often focus on the presentation level. This is understandable because it is the most observable level, but by tackling problems at the presentation level, we are generally treating the symptoms rather than the problems. Presentation problems are easily identified and treated with feedback, practice, and coaching. Often just mentioning a distracting habit, such as grammar, punctuation, or sentence structure will motivate student writers to monitor and eliminate those tendencies.

The Strategy--Planning Level

The key to better writing lies in the strategy--planning stage. In fact, many presentation level proble...