Archives: Types of Writing.

The purpose of this blog is to summarize articles on teaching English/language arts, from kindergarten through college, published in English education journals from the past.

Topic: Types of Writing

Title: “Different Products, Different Processes: A Theory abut Writing.” Maxine Hairston. College Composition and Communication 36 (1986), 442-52. Reviewed in College Composition and Communication (October 1987),325. A publication of the National Council of Teachers of English.

Summary: Author says that there are three types of writing: routine “message” writing; writing in which most of the substance is known in advance; and reflective writing in which discovery occurs during the act of writing. We should not treat all writing as “discovery” writing.

Comment; Usually we think of writing in modes: exposition, narration, description and argument. This author defines the types of writing as “message,” “thought through ahead of time” and “discovery”; each requires different processes. Interesting point of view. I know that when I write memos (“message”), I can compose at the keyboard with very little revision. On the other hand, if I don’t know what I am going to say (“discovery”), I start with yellow pad and pencil. If I know most of what I am going to say, I would probably start at the keyboard, but I will do a great deal of revising on the way. RayS.