Work Of Writing : Insights And Strategies For Academics And Professionals - 01 edition

Rankin, Elizabeth : University of North Dakota

Elizabeth Rankin teaches English and directs a faculty development program at the University of North Dakota, where she leads writing seminars and teaching workshops for faculty of all disciplines. She is a consultant-evaluator for the National Council of Writing Program Administrators.

"I admire this book and feel confident that readers will find it useful and a pleasure too. Rankin deftly chooses stories of actual writers and texts--stories that do a lot of work in a short space."

-- Peter Elbow, department of English, University of Massachusetts at Amherst

"Faculty and graduate students in all disciplines who are trying to write articles, books, grants, curriculum guides, or other professional documents, will find Rankin's book an imaginative, sensible, and practical guide to strategizing, organizing, addressing audiences, and combining creativity with convention."

-- Barbara Walvoord, director of the Kaneb Center for Teaching and Learning, concurrent professor of English, and fellow of the Institute for Educational Initiatives

"Practical advice for academics and graduate students who want to hone their skills and liven up their writing."

-- Book News, Inc., 11/01

From the Publisher's Web Site, Jan., 2003

Preface.

Chapter 1. The Work of Writing.

Chapter 2. Contributing to the Professional Conversation.

Defining Your Contribution.
Getting Into the Conversation.
Maintaining Your Vision.

Chapter 3. Meeting Readers' Needs and Expectations.

Creating Signposts and Roadmaps.
Paying Attention to Genre Expectations.
Making Sense of the Conventions.
Dealing With Difficult Situations.
Resisting the Temptation to Recycle.

Chapter 4. Finding Your Professional Voice.

Claiming Ownership of Your Writing.
Exorcising the Grad Student Within.
Making It Personal.
Keeping It Under Control.

Chapter 5. Starting, Revising, and Finishing.

Getting Started.
Learning to Like Revising.
Getting It In the Mail.
Afterword.

Appendix A: Organizing a Writing Group.
Appendix B: Sample Book Proposal Guidelines.
Appendix C: A Few Good Books on Writing.
References.
Index.