Writing is a Process...

Cross-Talk in Comp Theory by Victor Villanueva, discusses the way writing has evolved over time. With the invention of new technology and endless texts on writing, it has progressed into many different forms. It was mentioned in the acknowledgments section that he thanks graduate students for helping him rethink and recreate the Cross Talk book. They are the ones that are the most reliable critics due to the fact that they can express what is working for them, what is not and what new aides are available now that they refer to, such as technology. Throughout the book Victor uses metaphors to compare writing to everyday experiences like following a cooking recipe and modifying it for the amount you need. Writing is the same, there are things that work and don't work to make the product a valuable one, and it is a process that one goes through (like the recipe) to get there. He claims the book was designed to challenge ones views on writing they have now and open their minds to new ideas and forms it can take. He in no ways tries to persuade the reader to think a certain way but rather to offer what "They say", and have the reader come to a conclusion themselves.

One of the articles presented in the book, is by Donald M. Murray and it is entitled, "Teach Writing as A Process, Not a Product". That is to say that most times professors are concerned with the final draft and what the student should have produced. However, what is more important is how the students got to the final product, what their writing process was. Teachers are accustomed to leaving general comments on the student's paper, but those are not useful at all, because they "are not teaching a product, we are teaching a process" (pg. 3). The process has three major phases that the students are to go through and explore: prewriting, writing and rewriting. Prewriting is composing and idea, choosing an audience, research etc. basically all the things that should be considered before compiling a rough draft. Writing is the actual act of creating a draft. And rewriting is revising the paper to make it suitable to hand in. Teachers role in this is to be a guide on side. They need to listen to the student and let them create their own ideas and form they want to choose. Most times, teachers like to express ideas etc and that takes away the student being involved in the prewriting stage and that is the most important one for it is the base of what the final product turns out to be.

There are 10 initial stages to the writing process the student needs to go through according to Murray. In a sum-up they are: the student looking at his own writing, creating a subject, using his own words to describe it, doing all the prewriting needed, modifying the form to fit the papers needs, taking as much time as needed, exploring writing process and creating any alternatives to it they need. The teacher then is to respond to the student,"not for what they have done, but for what they may do; not for what they have produced, but for what they may produce" (pg. 6).

Another article in the book by Janet Emig called "Writing as a Mode of Learning" depicts how writing is a unique process unlike any other forms of communication it is compared to. It also is a key concept when combined with other learning strategies. Janet argues that writing is different then language. writing transforms into different words and text then talking does. It is both unique and created differently every time. There is more to writing than just communication. another one of her key points is that there is a connection between writing and learning. It connects all phases of our life and allows us to expand in our creativity. Without written documents, reading would be impossible and it is with text and practice that ones learns how to compose a good paper and understand a concept.