How to Write Anything with Readings: A Guide and Reference

How to Write Anything supports students with practical advice for all kinds of writing. The easy-to-follow rhetorical sequence, generous examples, and accessible tone empower students to write in any genre, both in class and in the workplace.

Table of Contents:
New selections are indicated with an asterisk (*).   Part 1: Concepts of College Writing 1 Academic Goals and Expectations           Know that writing is more than avoiding grammar errors           Don’t make writing harder than it is           Take advantage of your instructor’s office hour           Use the writing center           Think of writing as a process           Think of yourself as a writer           VISUAL TUTORIAL: How to Use the Writing Center 2 Defining Genres and Purposes           Appreciate what genres are           Understand why writers rely on genres           Using genres to meet assignments           Understand subgenres           Genres and subgenres in How to Write Anything 3 Imagining Audiences           Consider what your audiences expect           Consider who else your readers might be           Make adjustments for your readers           Define who your readers should be 4 Understanding Style and Design           Appreciate the choices you have           Strive for clarity in academic writing           Use language that respects audiences           Appreciate that design is part of style   Part 2: Key Academic Genres 5 Narratives           Defining the genre                     Make a point — usually                     Tell a story                     Offer details                     Focus on people                     LITERACY NARRATIVE: Laura Grisham, Literacy Narrative           Claiming a topic                     Brainstorm                     Choose a manageable subject                     Choose a consequential subject                     Choose a puzzling subject           Imagining your audience                     Gathering materials                     Talk to the people involved                     Trust your experiences                     Consult personal documents           Organizing ideas                     Consider a conventional structure                     Build toward a climax                     Give your readers directions                     Use headings and transitions           Choosing a style and design                     Don’t hesitate to use first person                     Use figures of speech, such as similes, metaphors, and analogies, to make memorable comparisons                     In choosing verbs, favor active rather than passive voice                     Keep the language simple           Examining models                     ARGUMENTATIVE NARRATIVE: Leah Vann, Bald Is NOT Beautiful                     PERSONAL STATEMENT: Michael Villaverde, Application Essay for Academic Service Partnership Foundation Internship                     Assignments 6 Reports           Defining the genre                     Present information                     Find reliable sources                     Aim for objectivity                     Present information clearly                             FEATURE STORY: Cat Vasko, Grocery Store Economics: Why Are Rotisserie Chickens So Cheap?           Claiming a topic                     Answer questions                     Review what is already known about a subject                     Report new knowledge           Imagining your audience                     Suppose you are the expert                     Suppose you are the novice                     Suppose you are the peer           Gathering materials                     Base reports on the best available sources                     Base reports on diverse sources                     Fact-check your report           Organizing ideas                     Organize by date, time, or sequence                     Organize by magnitude or order of importance                     Organize by division                     Organize by classification                     Organize by position, location, or space                     Organize by definition                     Organize by comparison/contrast                     Organize by thesis statement           Choosing style and design                     Present the facts cleanly                     Keep out of it                     Avoid connotative language                     Pay attention to elements of design           Examining models                     ACADEMIC RESEARCH REPORT: Susan Wilcox, Marathons for Women                     *INFOGRAPHIC: Australian Academy of Science, Noise Pollution and Animals                     Assignments 7 Explanations           Defining the genre                     Don’t jump to conclusions                     Appreciate your limits                     Offer sufficient evidence for claims                     *CAUSAL ANALYSIS: Kendall Powell, What Electronic Games Can Teach Us           Claiming a topic                     Look again at a subject you know well                     Look for an issue new to you                     Examine a local issue                     Choose a challenging subject                     Tackle an issue that seems settled           Imagining your audience                     Create an audience                     Write to an existing audience           Gathering materials                     Understand necessary causes                     Understand sufficient causes                     Understand precipitating causes                     Understand proximate causes                     Understand remote causes                     Understand reciprocal causes           Organizing ideas                     Explain why something happened                     Explain the consequences of a phenomenon                     Suggest an alternative explanation                     Explain a chain of causes           Choosing style and design                     Consider a middle style                     Use appropriate supporting media           Examining models                     RESEARCH STUDY: Alysha Behn, Where Have All the Women Gone?                     *FLOW DIAGRAM: U.S. Department of Transportation, Connected Vehicles                     Assignments 8 Arguments               Defining the genre                     Offer levelheaded and disputable claims                     Offer good reasons to support a claim                     Understand opposing claims and points of view                     Frame arguments powerfully—and not in words only                     *ARGUMENT TO ADVANCE A THESIS: Seth Templeton, An Open Letter to a Protester from a Baltimore County Police Officer           Claiming a topic                     State a preliminary claim, if only for yourself                     Qualify your claim to make it reasonable                     Examine your core assumptions           Imagining your audience                     Consider and control your ethos                     Consider self-imposed limits                     Consider the worlds of your readers           Gathering materials                     List your reasons                     Assemble your hard evidence                     Cull the best quotations                     Find counterarguments                     Consider emotional appeals           Organizing ideas                     Make a point or build toward one                     Spell out what’s at stake                     Address counterpoints when necessary, not in a separate section                     Save your best arguments for the end           Choosing style and design                     Invite readers with a strong opening                     Write vibrant sentences                     Ask rhetorical questions                     Use images and design to make a point           Examining a model                     REFUTATION ARGUMENT: Ryan Young, Self-Driving Cars: A Reality Check                     Assignments 9 Evaluations           Defining the genre                     Explain your mission                     Establish and defend criteria                     Offer convincing evidence                     Offer worthwhile advice                     CRITICAL ASSESSMENT: Megan McArdle, Serena Williams Is Not the Best Tennis Player           Claiming a topic                     Evaluate a subject you know well                     Evaluate a subject you need to investigate                     Evaluate a subject you’d like to know more about                     Evaluate a subject that’s been on your mind           Imagining your audience                     Write for experts                     Write for a general audience                     Write for novices           Gathering materials                     Decide on your criteria                     Look for hard criteria                     Argue for criteria that can’t be measured                     Stand by your values                     Gather your evidence           Organizing ideas                     Choose a simple structure when your criteria and categories are predictable                     Choose a focal point                     Compare and contrast           Choosing a style and design                     Use a high or formal style                     Use a middle style                     Use a low style                     Present evaluations visually           Examining models                     *MOVIE REVIEW: Roger Ebert, Review of  Do The Right Thing                      SOCIAL SATIRE/VISUAL ARGUMENT: Andy Singer, Intravenous Smartphones                     Assignments 10 Proposals           Defining the genre                     Define a problem                     Make specific recommendations                     Target the proposal                     Consider plausible alternatives                     Make realistic recommendations                     TRIAL BALLOON: Glenn Harlan Reynolds, To Reduce Inequality, Abolish Ivy League           Claiming a topic                     Look for a genuine issue                     Look for a challenging problem                     Look for a soluble problem                     Look for a local issue           Understanding your audience                     Appeal to people who can make a difference                     Rally people who represent public opinion           Gathering materials                     Define the problem                     Examine prior solutions                     Outline a proposal                     Defend the proposal                     Figure out how to implement the proposal           Organizing ideas           Choosing style and design                     Use a formal style                     Use a middle style, when appropriate                     Pay attention to elements of design           Examining models                     MANIFESTO: Ellen Airhart, Join the Revolution: Eat More Bugs                     VISUAL PROPOSAL: Jen Sorensen, Pod People                     Assignments 11 Literary Analyses           Defining the genre                     Begin with a close reading                     Make a claim or an observation                     Use texts for evidence                     Present literature in context                     Draw on previous research                     CULTURAL REFLECTION: Dana Gioia, Why Literature Matters: Good Books Help Make a Civil Society           Claiming a topic                     Choose a text, genre, or literary/cultural perspective you connect with                     Choose a topic you want to learn more about                     Choose a text or topic you don’t understand           Imagining your audience                     Clearly identify the author and works you are analyzing                     Define key terms                     Don’t aim to please professional critics           Gathering materials                     Examine the “text” closely                     Focus on the text itself                     Focus on meanings, themes, and interpretations                     Focus on authorship and history                     Focus on genre                     Focus on influences                     Focus on social connections                     Find good sources           Organizing ideas                     Imagine a structure                     Work on your opening           Choosing style and design                     Use a formal style for most assignments                     Use a middle style for informal or literacy narratives                     Follow the conventions of academic literary analysis                     Cite plays correctly                                                                                      Explore alternative media           Examining a model                     CLOSE READING: Kanaka Sathasivan, Insanity: Two Women                     ARTS/CULTURE ANALYSIS: Soup Martinez, Review of Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger                     Assignments 12 Rhetorical Analyses           Defining the genre                     Take words and images seriously                     Spend time with texts                     Pay attention to audiences                     Mine texts and rhetorical occasions for evidence                     *RHETORICAL ANALYSIS: Danielle Kurtzleben, When Republicans Attack “Cancel Culture,” What Does It Mean?           Claiming a topic                     Make a difference                     Choose a text you can work with                     Choose a text you can learn more about                     Choose a text with handles                     Choose a text you know how to analyze           Imagining your audience           Gathering materials                     Consider the ethos of the author                     Consider how a writer plays to emotions                     Consider how well reasoned a text is           Organizing ideas           Choosing style and design                     Consider a high style                     Consider a middle style                     Make the text accessible to readers           Examining models                     *DISCOURSE/CRITICAL ANALYSIS: Bari Weiss, Resignation Letter                      ANALYSIS OF AN ARGUMENT: Matthew James Nance, A Mockery of Justice                     Assignments   Part 3: Special College and Workplace Genres 13 Essay Examinations           Understanding essay exams                     Anticipate the types of questions to be asked                     Read exam questions carefully                     Sketch out a plan for your essay(s)                     Organize your answers strategically                     Offer strong evidence for your claims                     Come to a conclusion                                     Keep the tone serious                     Keep your eye on the clock           Getting the details right                         Use topic sentences and transitions                          Do a quick check of grammar, mechanics, and spelling                     Write legibly or print           Examining a model                     ESSAY EXAMINATION: Wade Lamb, Essay for Classical Modern Rhetoric 14 Annotated Bibliographies           Understanding bibliographies                     Begin with an accurate record of research materials                     Record every detail you will need to create an accurate citation                     Use annotations to assess the significance or quality of the work                     Use annotations to explain the role a work plays in your research                     Follow a single documentation style                     Record the information on your sources accurately                     Keep summaries and assessments brief                     Follow the directions carefully           Examining a model                     ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY: Annotated Bibliography from a Topic Proposal (Excerpt) 15 Syntheses           Understanding synthesis papers                     Pay close attention to the actual assignment                     Identify reputable sources on your subject                     Summarize and paraphrase the works you have identified                     Look for connections between your sources                     Provide a context for your topic                     Tell a story                     Acknowledge disagreements and rebuttals                     Cite materials that both support and challenge your own thesis                     Pay attention to language                     Be sure to document your sources           Examining a model                     SYNTHESIS PAPER: Lauren Chiu, Time to Adapt? 16 Oral Presentations           Understanding oral reports                     Choose your subject well                     Know your stuff                     Highlight arresting details                     Organize your presentation                     Keep your audience on track                     Stay connected to your listeners                     Use your voice and body                     Adapt your material to the time available                     Practice your talk                     Prep for the occasion           Getting the details right                     Be certain you need presentation software                     Use slides to introduce points, not cover them                     Use a simple and consistent design                     Consider alternatives to slide-based presentations                     Learn the rhetoric of poster sessions           Examining a model                     ORAL PRESENTATION: PowerPoint Presentation on Giving an Oral Report 17 Résumés           Understanding résumés                     Gather the necessary information                     Decide on appropriate categories                     Arrange the information within categories strategically                     Design pages that are easy to read           Getting the details right                     Proofread every line in the résumé several times                     Don’t leave unexplained gaps in your education or work career                     Be consistent and efficient                     Protect your personal data                     Look for help           Examining a model                     RÉSUMÉ: Taylor Rowane 18 Emails and Business Letters           Understanding email                     Assess the situation                     Explain your purpose clearly and logically                     Tell readers what you want or expect from them                     Write for intended audiences                     Write for unintended audiences too                     Keep messages brief                     Distribute your messages sensibly           Getting the details right: email                     Use informative subject lines                     Arrange your text sensibly                     Include an appropriate signature                     Use standard grammar                     Check the recipient list before you hit send                     Don’t be a pain           Getting the details right: conventional business letters                     Use consistent margins and spacing for print documents                     Finesse the greeting                     Distribute paper copies of a letter, if necessary                     Photocopy any paper letter as a record                     Don’t forget any promised enclosures                     Fold a paper business letter correctly and send it in a suitable           Examining models                                                                      EMAIL: Typical e-mail query                     COVER LETTER: Typical cover letter 19 Writing Portfolios           Understanding writing portfolios                     Take charge of the portfolio assignment                     Appreciate the audiences for a portfolio                     Present authentic materials                     Take reflections seriously           Getting the details right                     Polish your portfolio                     Understand the portfolio activities                     Give honest feedback to classmates           Examining a model                     WRITING PORTFOLIO: Desiree Lopez, Midterm Reflection on an Internship Course   Part 4: A Writer’s Routines 20 Smart Reading           Recall the basics           Read to deepen what you already know           Read above your level of knowledge           Read what makes you uncomfortable           Read against the grain           Read slowly           Annotate what you read 21 Critical Thinking           Think in terms of claims and reasons           Think in terms of premises and assumptions           Think in terms of evidence           Anticipate objections           Avoid logical fallacies 22 Claiming Topics           Follow routines that support invention           Browse course materials           Search online           Build from lists           Map your ideas           Try freewriting           Use memory prompts           VISUAL TUTORIAL: How to Browse for Ideas 23 Gathering Materials           Gather information from reputable and appropriate sources           Use the research tools your school provides           Look for diverse sources representing a respected range of opinion           Pay attention to dates           Use an adequate number of sources           Be sure to collect and document your sources systematically 24 Shaping a Thesis           Compose a complete sentence           Make a significant claim or assertion           Write a declarative sentence, not a question           Expect your thesis to mature           Introduce a thesis early in a project           Or state a thesis late in a project           Write a thesis to fit your audience and purpose 25 Developing Ideas           Use description to set a scene           Use division to divide a subject           Use classification to sort objects or ideas by consistent principles           Use definition to clarify meaning           Use comparison and contrast to show similarity and difference 26 Organizing Ideas           Examine model documents           Sketch out a plan or sequence           Try reverse outlining           Provide cues or signals for readers           Deliver on your commitments           Appreciate the value in varying structure 27 Outlining           Begin with a scratch outline           Look for relationships           Subordinate ideas                                                               Prepare a complete outline if required 28 Revising, Editing, and Proofreading           Revise to see the big picture           Edit to make the paper flow           Proofread to get the details right           VISUAL TUTORIAL: How to Revise Your Work 29 Peer Reviewing           Peer edit the same way you revise your own work           Be specific in identifying problems or opportunities           Offer suggestions for improvement           Praise what is genuinely good in the paper           Use proofreading symbols           Keep comments tactful and confidential           VISUAL TUTORIAL: How to Insert a Comment in a Word Document 30 Overcoming Writer’s Block           Break the project into parts           Set manageable goals           Create a calendar           Limit distractions           Do the parts you like first           Write a zero draft           Reward yourself   Part 5: Style 31 Levels of Style           Use high style for formal, scientific, and scholarly writing           Use middle style for personal, argumentative, and some academic writing           Use a low style for personal, informal, and even playful writing 32 Clear and Vigorous Writing           Build sentences around specific and tangible subjects and objects           Look for opportunities to use specific nouns and noun phrases rather than general ones           Avoid sprawling phrases           Avoid sentences with long windups           Favor simple, active verbs                                                  Avoid strings of prepositional phrases           Don’t repeat key words close together           Avoid doublings           Turn clauses into more direct modifiers           Cut introductory expressions such as it is and there is/are when you can           Vary your sentence lengths and structures           Read aloud what you have written           Cut a first draft by 25 percent—or more 33 Inclusive Writing           Avoid expressions that stereotype genders or sexual orientation           Avoid expressions that stereotype races, ethnic groups, or religious groups           Handle pronouns appropriately           Treat all people with respect           Avoid sensational language 34 Purposeful Paragraphs           Make sure paragraphs lead somewhere           Develop ideas adequately           Organize paragraphs logically  

About the Author :
John J. Ruszkiewicz is a professor emeritus at the University of Texas at Austin where he taught literature, rhetoric, and writing for forty years. A winner of the President’s Associates Teaching Excellence Award, he was instrumental in creating the Department of Rhetoric and Writing in 1993 and directed the unit from 2001-05. He has also served as president of the Conference of College Teachers of English (CCTE) of Texas, which gave him its Frances Hernández Teacher—Scholar Award in 2012. For Bedford/St. Martins, he is coauthor, with Andrea Lunsford, of Everything’s An Argument and the author of How To Write Anything and A Readers Guide to College Writing. In retirement, he writes mystery novels under the pen name J.J. Rusz, his first The Window Trail, published in July on Amazon. Jay Dolmage is an assistant professor of English at the University of Waterloo. He is the author of Instructors Manual for How to Write Anything and the coauthor of How to Write Anything: A Guide and Reference with Readings (with John J. Ruszkiewicz) and Disability and the Teaching of Writing (with Cynthia Lewiecki-Wilson and Brenda Jo Brueggemann). He is the coeditor, with Nedra Reynolds, of the new Bedford Bibliography for Teachers of Writing.  He teaches graduate classes in rhetoric and composition pedagogy and has published widely on rhetorical theory and accessible teaching. To hear Jay talk about the readings in How to Write Anything, watch the Bedford/St. Martin’s “Author Talk” video.