Tripod Page last updated:
18 November, 2000

I Am Therefore I Write.

" We Believe:
that almost all persons can write and want to write
that not writing or not wanting to write is unnatural
that, if either occurs, something major has 
been subverted in a mind, in a life;
that as teachers and researchers we must try to help 
make writing natural again, and necessary.
Credo; credemus
 And so may we continue together."  
Janet Emig (1980)

And Now the Fun Begins:

Writing CAN be enjoyable. If your are given the correct kind and amount of stimulous, or if you can manufacture that stimulous yourself, you can enjoy writing.
It requires CONSTANT practice, however. It is clear, too, that not all varieties of writing provide the same amount of pleasure. There is a key. One has to develop pride and find pleasure in expressing oneself well. Here are some examples:

By clicking the botton below, you will find some examples of your own classmates having fun, more or less.
As you will see, the sucess of their writing varies too! What can you do?

'The Middle School Page'

'The Seniors' Page'

The Mini-Saga Competition. Click Here!
THE PASSWORD IS 'SAGOLD'

Would you like to participate? If so, write to me asking to send an invitation.

Much More FUN!. Click Here!
Would you like to participate? If so, Note You have to register, but it takes only a minute.

The Written Word.

The Following Discussion Makes Reference to Argumentative Prose.

That is, What is Required by Teachers in English and Social Science Classes,
and in the Essays you Have to Write for College Applications.

Information Concerning What is Required by Most Academic Institutions for Writing.

Writing : The Bare Minimum

by: Gail G. Grant

Contents: CLICK ON THE DESIRED SECTION!

Introduction
Assessment
Writing Errors Level One : 'D.O.A.'
Writing Errors Level Two : 'Intensive Care.'
Writing Errors Level Three : 'The Patient is Stable.'
Writing Errors Level Four : 'The Walking Wounded.'
DISCLAIMER - NO WARRANTY

Introduction

The objectivesof any writing course are to improve the writing skills of the course participants in measurable ways. The only real work is written work. The rest is play. So quite a bit of it has to be done. Writing should result directly from the activities of the class, and indeed from the activity of human existence itself. Writing from other classes, or from your own journals is always welcome. The point is simply that you must practice writing in order to become a better writer. For that reason this teacher requires at least one piece of written work from each student for every week of the course.

Assessment

The question then is by what means are writing, its improvement or lack thereof to be assessed? This is a question which has occupied teachers and writers foe thousands of years. What is 'good' composition in the web of words? The criteria of assessment for formal writing this teacher figures by categorising the errors which occur in writing into four levels. They are described below. See also:

On Argumentative Writing: A Useful step-by-step description of the process, with exercises.

Writing Errors Level One : 'D.O.A.'

Failure to write in a way that that indicates a general structure. The most basic of which is the beginning-middle-end. Each of these parts has a specific and easily recognised function. The introduction states briefly and clearly what the essay is about. It answers a question. The body, always the longest part of the essay, supports that answer by providing evidence in the form of facts, or quotation, and reasoned argument. The conclusion restates the ideas of the introduction, drawing the reader’s attention to the fact that evidence has been produced to ‘prove’ its validity.

Writing Errors Level Two : 'Intensive Care.'

Failure to segment the writing into consecutive ‘chunks’. These are called paragraphs. Each paragraph should have a structure of its own. Again, the most simple structure is the most common: a beginning, involving the use of a ‘topic sentence’, a middle which provides reasons or evidence, and sometimes an end which concludes and convinces.

Netiticulation : The Written Word, A Selection of Links. All these sites invite ACTIVE PARTICIPATION, NOT PASSIVE READING.
For exercises working with more basic grammar and structure see Mr. Scupham's excellent link page.
It and the CNN site are listed first. I continue with the creative sites.

'CNN News Room and World View for ESL.': An excellent 'nuts and bolts' source of practice in grammar and usage.
Womens' Journals: This is for girls who want to become more 'in touch' with themselves and other women.
This is not a 'joke;' no hecklers, please!
The Sillicon Quill: A place for those interested in Creative Writing.
The Playwright's Writing Group.: Encourages the dramatists among us.
A simple, but serious exercise.: Do not waste the man's time if you do not want to a serious intersction to your writing.
Writing Center: Exercises for Polishing and Improving Your Writing from Purdue University.
Writing Exercises in Science (Jack Kimball): Usefull and interesting for a practical approach to the subject.
Poetry Splash: The joy of a toy.
The Albany Poetry Workshop: A university creative writing course and resource.
A literary resourse used a stimulus for writing: Writing Exercises Using the Original Illustrations.

Journals Containing Poetry.

Web del Sol : Fascinating front page...: And the rest? For exploration.
Australian Writing On Line: Fresh, new English writing from the other side of the planet.
The Blue Moon Review: An excellent selection.
Crania: A Literary/Arts Magazine
Expansive Poetry & Music Online: A journal of reviews, poetry and prose.
Poetry Daily: A new poem every day.
poetry etc .: Part of one man's vision of poetry/teaching.
: The source for most of the above entries.

The Proof of the Pudding:

Mechanics: Typographical and other matters.

What Every Writer Should Know: Numbers4words: How it is.
10 Typographical Blunders: Making your typographic presentation cone up to the mark..

Please provide constructive criticism and/or merited praise. Here.

Or send comments about THIS page to its editor at
g3x3@bigfoot.com

I Am Therefore I Write.

The Mini-Saga Competition. Click Here!

Much More FUN!. Click Here!