Life writing projects have become part of the expanding field of qualitative research methods in recent years and advances in critical approaches are reshaping methodological pathways. Critical Approaches to Life Writing Methods in Qualitative Research gives researchers and students looking for a brief compendium to guide their methodological thinking a concise and working overview of how to approach and carry out different forms of life writing. This practical book re-invigorates the conversation about the possibilities and innovative directions qualitative researchers can take when engaged in various forms of life writing, such as biography, autobiography, autoethnography, life history, and oral history. It equips the reader with the tools to carry out life writing projects from start to finish, including choosing a topic or subject, examining lives as living data, understanding the role of documents and artifacts, learning to tell the story, and finally writing/performing/displaying through the voice of the life writer. The authors also address the ways a researcher can begin a project, work through the issues they might face along the journey, and arrive at a shareable product. With its focus on the plurality of life writing methodologies, Critical Approaches to Life Writing Methods in Qualitative Research occupies a distinct place in qualitative research scholarship and offers practical exercises to guide the researcher. Examples include exploring authorial voice, practical applications of reflexivity exercises, the relationship between the narrator and participants, navigating the use of public and private archives, understanding the processes of collaborative inquiry and collaborative writing, and writing for various audiences.

Examination of the work of scientific icons-Newton, Descartes, and others-reveals the metaphors and analogies that directed their research and explain their discoveries. Today, scientists tend to balk at the idea of their writing as rhetorical, much less metaphorical. How did this schism over metaphor occur in the scientific community? To establish that scientists should use metaphors to explain science to the public and need to be conscious of how metaphor can be useful to their research, this book examines the controversy over cloning and the lack of a metaphor to explain it to a public fearful of science's power.The disjunction between metaphor and science is traced to the dispensation of the Solar System Analogy in favor of a mathematical model. Arguing that mathematics is metaphorical, the author supports the idea of all language as metaphorical-unlike many rhetoricians and philosophers of science who have proclaimed all language as metaphorical but have allowed a distinction between a metaphorical use of language and a literal use.For technical communication pedagogy, the implications of this study suggest foregrounding metaphor in textbooks and in the classroom. Though many technical communication textbooks recommend metaphor as a rhetorical strategy, some advise avoiding it, and those that recommend it usually do so in a paragraph or two, with little direction for students on how to recognize metaphors or to how use them. This book provides the impetus for a change in the pedagogical approach to metaphor as a rhetorical tool with epistemological significance.

Learning to think is a complex process made up of reading, writing listening, speaking and remembering textual materials. The aim of this topical book is to encourage practical educational reform in the Humanities by taking the emphasis away from the reception of texts to their production. Adapting rhetorical teaching methods, the authors encourage students to participate in the activities of thinking giving them short written and verbal exercises to develop conceptual competences and linguistics skills. It is argued that these methods can be implemented successfully across a wide number of humanities subjects and that they encourage the development of practical transferable skills, both cognitive and linguistic.
The authors have used these methods successfully in class, and the book includes sample exercises, the initial results, and feedback from their students.

Learning to think is a complex process made up of reading, writing listening, speaking and remembering textual materials. The aim of this topical book is to encourage practical educational reform in the Humanities by taking the emphasis away from the reception of texts to their production. Adapting rhetorical teaching methods, the authors encourage students to participate in the activities of thinking giving them short written and verbal exercises to develop conceptual competences and linguistics skills. It is argued that these methods can be implemented successfully across a wide number of humanities subjects and that they encourage the development of practical transferable skills, both cognitive and linguistic.
The authors have used these methods successfully in class, and the book includes sample exercises, the initial results, and feedback from their students.

For more than thirty years, Writing for Social Scientists has been a lifeboat for writers in all fields, from beginning students to published authors. It starts with a powerful reassurance: Academic writing is stressful, and even accomplished scholars like sociologist Howard S. Becker struggle with it. And it provides a clear solution: In order to learn how to write, take a deep breath and then begin writing. Revise. Repeat. This is not a book about sociological writing. Instead, Becker applies his sociologist's eye to some of the common problems all academic writers face, including trying to get it right the first time, failing, and therefore not writing at all; getting caught up in the trappings of "proper" academic writing; writing to impress rather than communicate with readers; and struggling with the when and how of citations. He then offers concrete advice, based on his own experiences and those of his students and colleagues, for overcoming these obstacles and gaining confidence as a writer. While the underlying challenges of writing have remained the same since the book first appeared, the context in which academic writers work has changed dramatically, thanks to rapid changes in technology and ever greater institutional pressures. This new edition has been updated throughout to reflect these changes, offering a new generation of scholars and students encouragement to write about society or any other scholarly topic clearly and persuasively. As Becker writes in the new preface, "Nothing prepared me for the steady stream of mail from readers who found the book helpful. Not just helpful. Several told me the book had saved their lives; less a testimony to the book as therapy than a reflection of the seriousness of the trouble writing failure could get people into." As academics are being called on to write more often, in more formats, the experienced, rational advice in Writing for Social Scientists will be an important resource for any writer's shelf.

For courses in Writing. This version of Envision in Depth Reading, Writing, and Researching Arguments has been updated to reflect the 8th Edition of the MLA Handbook (April 2016)* Research-based writing through practical examples Envision in Depth: Reading, Writing, and Researching Arguments encourages students to look at an issue or idea from a new perspective through the process of analysis, argument, source evaluation, and research-based essay writing. This compact, colorful text for argument and research employs visual culture as an intuitive way into rhetoric and writing. Because of its authentic examples, fresh readings, and thorough instruction, students will enjoy learning to read, analyze, and argue about a range of written and visual texts relevant to our contemporary culture. * The 8th Edition introduces sweeping changes to the philosophy and details of MLA works cited entries. Responding to the "increasing mobility of texts," MLA now encourages writers to focus on the process of crafting the citation, beginning with the same questions for any source. These changes, then, align with current best practices in the teaching of writing which privilege inquiry and critical thinking over rote recall and rule-following.

This innovative book is the first to identify and describe the systematic process that drives the day-to-day work of writers in the real world of print and broadcast journalism, public relations and advertising. The key to creative problem solution for both simple and complex assignments in media work is engagingly detailed in this thought-provoking guide. Users of this book will learn how to fulfill assignments and write copy that meets an editor's or client's expectations, speaks to the intended audience, stands up to question, and remains in memory. The author skillfully blends tested processes from science and art to equip the student with the tools of self-management and the techniques of disciplined creativity that defend against erroneous judgment. Recognizing the role of problem solving in media and the primacy of critical thinking at all stages of the writing process -- from preparatory measures to final writing -- the author challenges the assumption that discipline and creativity are incompatible partners. That partnership is described in detail, then dramatized with absorbing examples and illustrations drawn from interviews with experienced practitioners in print and broadcast journalism, public relations and advertising. Each chapter is a discovery of how this reliable partnership for solving writing problems in media applies to both anticipated and unexpected communication situations. Making known what media professionals have learned through trial and error on the job, here is a thinking and writing dynamic that students, new hires, and aspiring free-lancers can now acquire before entering the world of print or broadcast journalism, public relations or advertising.

The Professional Writing Guide is for people who wish to improve the quality of their documents and the efficiency of their writing.Busy executives and other writers in organisations, who may spend between 30 and 80 per cent of their working time writing, will find it invaluable because it clearly outlines the principles that underlie effective documents. This book will enable executives to write confidently, competently, and persuasively.High quality output is crucial to a company's image and to a professional's own career advancement. Errors in a document can prove expensive. The Professional Writing Guide is an indispensable and accessible reference tool as well as a comprehensive style manual for writers who wish to avoid those expensive mistakes and make a positive impression.Written by two long-term professional writing educators with extensive experience of consulting to Australian business and industry, this lively and highly practical book features workable, reliable, and powerful strategies that can be used to systematically eliminate the writing problems of organisational writers.

The creative writing workshop has existed since the early part of the 20th century, but does it adequately serve the students who come to it today? While the workshop is often thought of as a form of student-centered pedagogy, it turns out that workshop conversations serve to marginalize a range of aesthetic orientations and the cultural histories to which they belong. Given the shifting demographics of higher education, it is time to re-evaluate the creative writing curriculum and move literary writing pedagogy toward a more inclusive, equitable model. Toward an Inclusive Creative Writing makes the argument that creative writing stands upon problematic assumptions about what counts as valid artistic production, and these implicit beliefs result in exclusionary pedagogical practices. To counter this tendency of creative writing, this book proposes a revised curriculum that rests upon 12 threshold concepts that can serve to transform the teaching of literary writing craft. The book also has a companion website www.criticalcreativewriting.org offering supplemental materials such as lesson plans and course materials.

This is the first full-scale study of French autobiography. Whereas earlier critics have engaged primarily in theoretical discussion of the genre, or in analyses of individual works or authors, Michael Sheringham identifies sixteen key autobiographical texts and situates them in the context of an evolving set of challenges and problems. Informed by a sophisticated awareness of recent theoretical debates, Sheringham conceives autobiography as a distinctively open form of writing, perpetually engaged with different forms of `otherness'. Manifestations of the Other in the autobiographical process - from the reader, who incarnates other people, to ideology, against which individual truth must be pitted, to the potential otherness of memory itself - are traced through a scrutiny of the `devices and desires' at work in a range of texts from Rousseau's Confessions, to Stendhal's Vie de Henry Brulard and Sartre's Les Mots. Other writers examined include Chateaubriand, Gide, Green, Leiris, Leduc, Gorz, Barthes, Perec, and Sarraute. French Autobiography: Devices and Desires represents both the first attempt to assemble a canon in one volume and a strikingly original contribution to the theory of autobiography.

Many scientists encounter difficulties in writing papers for publication, perhaps because they have never previously done so, are out of practice or are not confident in their ability to write English as a second language. Whatever their dicipline, nationality or level of successful experience, Writing Successfully in Science will ease the task of documenting work by gently guiding readers through the necessary steps to successful publication-from planning the initial framework of an article, preparing references and illustrative material and writing a first draft, to choosing suitable journals, writing to the editor and dealing with the proofs of the final draft. Althought the examples and orientation are mainly biological, the principles described apply to every branch of science. Practical tips for the first-time writer are combined with useful advise for more experienced contributors wishing to improve their technique. The text also covers the preparation of theses, short talks and posters, review articles, book reviews, grant proposals and curriculum vitae.
Writing Successfully in Science pays particular attention to the needs of scientists whose first language is not English, explaining how to avoid the main pitfalls of English grammar and how to present work in a clear and logical fashion. Also included are details on the presentation of effective figures and tables, both in a traditional manner and with the aid of computer graphics packages.
Postgraduate and postdoctoral research workers should find Writing Successfully in Science an invaluable guide to the preparation of scientific documents; it is also suitable for use in seminars on scientific writing.

eBook available with sample pages: 0203478681

'Like a best friend giving you essential advice. I can't wait to give this to every writer I know.' - Candice Carty-Williams Why do stories matter? I tell stories to make sense of the world as I see it. The world I have lived and experienced, read about and heard about, and what I want it to be. I tell stories to make sense of myself. Nikesh Shukla, author, writing mentor and bestselling editor of The Good Immigrant, knows better than most the power that every unique voice has to create change. Whether it's a novel, personal essay, non-fiction work or short story - or even just the formless desire to write something - Your Story Matters will hone your skill and help you along the way. This book includes exercises and prompts that will develop your idea, no matter what genre you're writing in. It is practical, to the point and focused on letting you figure out what you want to write, how you want to write and why this is the best use of your voice. Accessible and thought-provoking, Your Story Matters will inspire you to keep thinking about writing, even when you don't have the time to put pen to paper.

All writers need to know how to adapt to new technology and thrive in the new opportunities that it provides. This book provides readers with the nuts-and-bolts of scripting for an array of audio-visual (AV) projects, whether it be a simple slide show,
a multi-image presentation, a computer-based interactive program, or a major multi-area extravaganza. The book is very readable and would be extremely good for reference. Valerie Bragg, Principa, The City Technology College, Kinghurst, British Journal
of Educational Technology, Sept. 1992. - British Journal of Education Technology, September 1992

'Like a best friend giving you essential advice. I can't wait to give this to every writer I know.' Candice Carty-Williams Why do stories matter? I tell stories to make sense of the world as I see it. The world I have lived and experienced, read about and heard about, and what I want it to be. I tell stories to make sense of myself. Nikesh Shukla, author, writing mentor and bestselling editor of The Good Immigrant, knows better than most the power that every unique voice has to create change. Whether it's a novel, personal essay, non-fiction work or short story - or even just the formless desire to write something - Your Story Matters will hone your skill and help you along the way. This book includes exercises and prompts that will develop your idea, no matter what genre you're writing in. It is practical, to the point and focused on letting you figure out what you want to write, how you want to write and why this is the best use of your voice. Accessible and thought-provoking, Your Story Matters will inspire you to keep thinking about writing, even when you don't have the time to put pen to paper.

New Subediting gives a detailed account of modern editing and production techniques. Its aim is both to help the young subeditor and to spell out to the newcomer to newspaper journalism what happens between the writing of news stories and features and their appearance in the newspaper when it comes off the press. In this age of technological change the quality of the subbing has never been more important to a successful newspaper. The careful use of typography, pictures, graphics and compelling headlines and the skillful handling of text coupled with good page planning, all help to give character,style and readability. This book examines, and draws lessons from, work in contemporary newspapers in editing and presentation; it defines the varied techniques of copytasting, of editing news stories and features, of styles of headline writing and the use of typography to guide and draw the attention of the reader. It takes into account developments in the use of English as a vehicle of mass communication in two important chapters on structure and word use; and it shows how to get the best out of the electronic tools now available to subeditors. It also reminds journalisis that, however advanced the tools, a newspaper is only as good as the creative skills of those that write, edit and put it together.

Someday computers will be artists. They'll be able to write amusing and original stories, invent and play games of unsurpassed complexity and inventiveness, tell jokes and suffer writer's block. But these things will require computers that can both achieve artistic goals and be creative. Both capabilities are far from accomplished. This book presents a theory of creativity that addresses some of the many hard problems which must be solved to build a creative computer. It also presents an exploration of the kinds of goals and plans needed to write simple short stories. These theories have been implemented in a computer program called MINSTREL which tells stories about King Arthur and his knights. While far from being the silicon author of the future, MINSTREL does illuminate many of the interesting and difficult issues involved in constructing a creative computer. The results presented here should be of interest to at least three different groups of people. Artificial intelligence researchers should find this work an interesting application of symbolic AI to the problems of story-telling and creativity. Psychologists interested in creativity and imagination should benefit from the attempt to build a detailed, explicit model of the creative process. Finally, authors and others interested in how people write should find MINSTREL's model of the author-level writing process thought-provoking.

A growing number of information providers are now online, and as a result being able to produce copy that is suitable for an online readership is of increasing importance. In this text the basic principles of copywriting are covered, along with more specific guidance on writing for online sources. The differences between writing for online and offline are highlighted to enable the reader to distinguish between the two and consequently write the best form of copy for the end source. Different sources of online content require different approaches, and therefore the author takes a structured approach, taking each of these channels in turn, for example writing for web sites, writing for email, ezines and newsletters, writing for search engines, and writing for online ads. By approaching each topic individually, specific guidance is provided enabling the reader to be properly equipped with the tools required to write the most appropriate copy for the task in hand.

This book undertakes a general framework within which to consider the complex nature of the writing task in English, both as a first, and as a second language. The volume explores varieties of writing, different purposes for learning to write extended text, and cross-cultural variation among second-language writers. The volume overviews textlinguistic research, explores process approaches to writing, discusses writing for professional purposes, and contrastive rhetoric. It proposes a model for text construction as well as a framework for a more general theory of writing. Later chapters, organised around seventy-five themes for writing instruction are devoted to the teaching of writing at the beginning, intermediate, and advanced levels. Writing assessment and other means for responding to writing are also discussed. William Grabe and Robert Kaplan summarise various theoretical strands that have been recently explored by applied linguists and other writing researchers, and draw these strands together into a coherent overview of the nature of written text. Finally they suggest methods for the teaching of writing consistent with the nature, processes and social context of writing.

Critical Reading and Writing in the Digital Age is a fully introductory, interactive textbook that explores the power relations at work in and behind the texts we encounter in our everyday lives. Using examples from numerous genres - such as fiction, poetry, advertisements and newspapers - this textbook examines the language choices a writer must make in structuring texts, representing the world and positioning the reader. Assuming no prior knowledge of linguistics, Critical Reading and Writing in the Digital Age offers guidance on how to read texts critically and how to develop effective writing skills. Extensively updated, key features of the second edition include: a radically revised and repackaged section that highlights the theme of discourses of power and authority and the new possibilities for resisting them; a revamped analysis of the art of communication which has changed due to the advent of new media including Facebook and Wikipedia; fresh examples, exercises and case studies including fan fiction, articles from the BBC, Daily Mail and South China Morning Post, and a selection of international ads for a variety of products; a brand new companion website at www.routledge.com/cw/goatly featuring projects, quizzes and activities for each chapter, a glossary and further reading. Written by two experienced teachers, Critical Reading and Writing in the Digital Age is an ideal coursebook for students of English language.

The new, updated edition of the handbook that should be on every copyeditor's desk. Unstuffy, hip, and often funny, The Copyeditor's Handbook has become an indispensable resource both for new editors and for experienced hands who want to refresh their skills and broaden their understanding of the craft of copyediting. This fourth edition incorporates the latest advice from language authorities, usage guides, and new editions of major style manuals, including The Chicago Manual of Style. It registers the tectonic shifts in twenty-first-century copyediting: preparing text for digital formats, using new technologies, addressing global audiences, complying with plain language mandates, ensuring accessibility, and serving self-publishing authors and authors writing in English as a second language. The new edition also adds an extensive annotated list of editorial tools and references and includes a bit of light entertainment for language lovers, such as a brief history of punctuation marks that didn't make the grade, the strange case of razbliuto, and a few Easter eggs awaiting discovery by keen-eyed readers. The fourth edition features updates on the transformation of editorial roles in today's publishing environment new applications, processes, and protocols for on-screen editing major changes in editorial resources, such as online dictionaries and language corpora, new grammar and usage authorities, online editorial communities, and web-based research tools When you're ready to test your mettle, pick up The Copyeditor's Workbook: Exercises and Tips for Honing Your Editorial Judgment, the essential new companion to the handbook.

Winner of the 2018 CCCC Technical and Scientific Communication Award in the category of Best Book in Technical or Scientific Communication Responding to the effects of human mobility and crises such as depleting oil supplies, Ehren Helmut Pflugfelder turns specifically to automobility, a term used to describe the kinds of mobility afforded by autonomous, automobile-based movement technologies and their ramifications. Thus far, few studies in technical communication have explored the development of mobility technologies, the immense power that highly structured, environmentally significant systems have in the world, or the human-machine interactions that take place in such activities. Applying kinaesthetic rhetoric, a rhetoric that is sensitive to and developed from the mobile, material context of these technologies, Pflugfelder looks at transportation projects such as electric taxi cabs from the turn of the century to modern day, open-source vehicle projects, and a large case study of an autonomous, electric pod car network that ultimately failed. Kinaesthetic rhetoric illuminates how mobility technologies have always been persuasive wherever and whenever linguistic symbol systems and material interactions enroll us, often unconsciously, into regimes of movement and ways of experiencing the world. As Pflugfelder shows, mobility technologies involve networks of sustained arguments that are as durable as the bonds between the actors in their networks.

This book offers students a method for understanding and mastering the rhetorical patterns that comprise expository writing. Its exercises ask students to arrange jumbled sentences into logical order, forming model essays for standard rhetorical patterns such as comparison/contrast, classification, and thesis support. These techniques force students to see the basic logic of different writing patterns. The goal of Whimbey's workbook is to teach the student to write concise and original essays on any topic.