The premise of the book is that no educational process is complete until you can apply what you study. That is, you have not learned something, that is, really learned it, until you talk or write about it.

In this class, I will say time and time again that a college student is expected to do more than write a concise summary of the plot of a literary work.

If you want to make sure you don't fill up your pages with plot summary, what other things should you be writing about? The book describes a process of keeping a notebook with informal m marginal responses to a literary work (you can use sticky notes if you're reading a library book), discovering ideas, drafting the paper, and "completing the essay". How have your other English teachers approached the activity of writing a paper?

Note especially the box on page 21, and the plus/minus columns on page 26.

Discussed in Class:

Writing That Demonstrates Thinking Ability
Timed Essays: Planning and Organizing in a Crunch