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.
