How Writing Works A Guide to Composing Genres, With Readings

College students are expected to master new genres in every course they take. Yet composition instructors can't possibly teach students every genre they will need for their college courses or careers. Instead of telling students how to write a genre, authors Jack and Pryal help students learn how a genre works using a genre toolkit that asks three questions: "What is it?" "Who reads it?" and "What's it for?" By taking this problem-solving approach to writing, How Writing Works: With Readings prepares students for any writing situation that they may encounter at school, home, or work.

Jordynn Jack, Ph.D., is Chi Omega Distinguished Term Professor in English and Comparative Literature at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Katie Rose Guest Pryal, J.D., Ph.D., is a writer and keynote speaker, an Adjunct Professor of Law at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and an Instructor in the Creative Writing Program at Drexel University.

List of Genres
Preface

Part 1: The Genre Toolkit

1. What is it?
What Is a Genre?
Amy Tan, "Mother Tongue"
Foxxy, "The Way of a Cherokee"
Finding Samples of a Genre
Conclusion
Conclusion
Chapter Project: Find a Target Publication

2. Who Reads It?
Analyze Your Audience
Maisha, "Two Worlds, One Great Nation"
Use Rhetorical Appeals
Use the Genre Toolkit
Megan Swartzfager, "We All Have Headaches, Sweetie"
Conclusion
Chapter Project: Audience Analysis of Target Publication

3. What's It For?
Identifying a Genre's Purposes
Claire Zhang, "Amy Tan Phase" (excerpt)
Identify Purpose
The Rhetorical Situation and Kairos What is Your Role?
Conclusion
Chapter Project: Write a Personal Essay

Part 2: Projects

4. Profiles
Profile Mini-Genre: Social Network Profile
About Me/About Us Page
Profile Article
Shirley Hancock, "Oregon Ballet Theatre's Lucas Threefoot: Oregon Ballet Theatre's New Soloist Finds Comfort in Changing Roles"
Jamie Shroeder, "Goals for Life"
Gwendalyn Flick, "Time to Bite the Bullet (Journal)"
How to Write a Profile Article
Sarah Creek, "Profile of an Engineering Professor: Dr. Grace Yang"
Conclusion
Chapter Project: Write a Profile Article

5. Analyses
Analysis Mini-Genre: Keyword Analysis
Literary Analysis
Hillary Muller, "The Mother Country: Feminizing the Land as Propaganda in Dryden's Annus Mirabilis"
Ellen Chapman, "Women's Roles in Elizabeth Cary's The Tragedy of Mariam"
Mark Washington, "Household Battles in 1616 as Shown in Anne Clifford's Diary
Rhetorical Analysis
Cody M. Poplin, "Rhetorical Strategies and Effectiveness in the Declaration of Independence"
Kelly Simpson, "Kairos, Violence, and The Hunger Games"
Carlos Fernandez-Smith, "Appraising The Help: Ethos and Logos in Critical Accounts"
How to Write a Rhetorical Analysis
Association of Black Women Historians, "An Open Statement to the Fans of the Help" (excerpt)
Chapter Project: Write a Rhetorical Analysis
Conclusion

6. Reviews
Review Mini-Genre: Online Product Review
Petra V., "So-so coffee, grinder stops working!"
Keno, "Does what it does, well."
jojo23, "This is a great eReader for indoors and out!"
Film, Art, or Performance Review
Sapna P. Singh, "Ackland's Kaleidoscope of Many Colors"
Katie Fennelly, "Of Montreal's New Album: A Mix of Weird Sounds and Intrigue"
Nathan Cook, "Film Review: "Epic" "Sweater Pillow Tutorial"
Book Review
Antoinette Scully, "A Butler-Sized Book Hangover"
Risa Applegarth, "Review of The Changeover by Margaret Mahy"
Adriana Lorenzini, "Gertruda's Oath by Ram Oren and Habibi by Naomi Shihab Nye: A Book Review Essay"
Strategies for Reviews
Chapter Project: Write a Book Review
Conclusion

7. Argumentative Genres
Argumentative Mini-Genre: Print Advertisement
Pia DiGiulio, "Uncontrolled Study Orgies Break Out in Gender-Neutral Dorm"
Henry Block, "The Nation Must Prioritize The Opening of Indoor Trampoline Parks by The Kid You Babysit"
The Onion, "Professor Deeply Hurt by Student's Evaluation"
Column, Op-Ed, or Letter to the Editor
Persephone Yang, "Barring felons from voting sounds tough on crime, but it's quietly destroying American communities
Rini Sampath, "Insults Against Disabled People Must Be Eradicated"
Maya Rosenberg, "UMD Followed Protocol Before Olivia Paregol's Death - But That Isn't Enough"
Strategies for Argumentative Genres
Chapter Project: Write an Op-Ed
Conclusion

8. Academic Research Genres
Analysis Mini-Genre: Keyword Analysis
M. Navarrete, G. Perea, D. Fernandez de Sevilla, M. Gómez-Gonzalo, A. Núñez, et al., "Astrocytes Mediate In Vivo Cholinergic-Induced Synaptic Plasticity,"
Mike Duncan, "Polemical Ambiguity and the Composite Audience: Bush's 20 September 2001 Speech to Congress and the Epistle of 1 John"
Jessica Ross, "Closing Guantanamo Bay: The Future of Detainees"
Annotated Bibliography
Chris Clayman, "Annotated Bibliography"
Lisa Garmire, "Resisting the Apocalypse: Telling Time in American Novels about AIDS, 1982-1992"
Darnell L. Moore, "A Ferguson Syllabus: Reading a Movement"
Research Articles
Kristine Thompson, "Wait, You Stormed Franklin Street? The Social and Psychological Motivations of UNC Sports Fans"
Rick Ingram, "Gender Discrimination and the Movement towards Equality in the Workforce"
Penelope Edwards, "Purity and Corruption: Reading Harriet Jacobs through the Lens of the Bathsheba Tale"
Strategies for Academic Research Genres
Chapter Project: Write a Research Genre
Conclusion

9. Workplace Genres
Workplace Mini-Genre: Company Slogan
Professional Correspondence
Jessica Wang, "Cover Letter for a Student Job Application"
Joe Smith, "Thank-you Letter to a Professor"
Resume
Chapter Project: Write a Resume

Part 3: Writing Process

10. Creating Your Writing Process
Defining Writing as a Process
Concretize Your Tasks
Commit to a Plan
Conclusion

11. Developing a Topic
Genre Toolkit: What Are You Writing?
Browse for Topics
Confirm Topics with Initial Research
Narrow a Topic
Conclusion

12. Prewriting
Freewriting
Question-Dialogue
Audio-Brainstorming
Collaborative Prewriting
Concept Mapping
Conclusion

13. Drafting
Try Out Different Drafting Strategies
Find Tools that Work for You
Writing Collaboratively
Conclusion

14. Generating Arguments
What Is an Argument?
Understanding the Issue
Develop a Claim
Organize Reasons and Evidence
Address Counter-Arguments
Conclusion

15. Organizing
Discovering Organization through Genre
Outlining Before Writing
Using Outlines as You Draft
Organizing Paragraphs
Ordering Sections or Topics
Introductions
Writing Conclusions
Conclusion

16. Developing Style
Matching Style to Genre, Audience, and Purpose
Choosing a Persona and Tone
Use Inclusive Language
Using Disciplinary Terminology
Choosing a Level of Formality
Using Rhetorical Figures
Conclusion

17. Revising and Editing
Revising Your Writing
Editing and Proofreading
Participating in Peer Review
Conclusion

Part 4: Research

18. Getting Started with Research
Considering Your Genre
Finding a Good Research Topic
Identifying a Gap
Developing a Research Question
Develop a Research Plan

19. Conducting Database Research
Keeping Track of Your Findings
Conducting Database Research
Sort Through Your Findings
Reading Secondary Sources
Conclusion

20. Conducting Empirical Research
Experimental and Observational Research
Qualitative and Quantitative Research
Kristine Thompson, "The Social and Psychological Motivations of UNC Sports Fans"
Archival Research
Empirical Research in the Humanities
Conclusion

21. Avoiding Plagiarism
What Is Plagiarism?
Types of Plagiarism
Keeping Track of Sources
Conclusion

22. Integrating Sources
Introducing Sources in the Text
Ray M. Marin and Jirí Vanícek, "Optimal Use of Conservation and Accessibility Filters in MicroRNA Target Prediction"
Shulman, J. L., Gotta, G., & Green, R., "Will Marriage Matter? Effects of Marriage Anticipated by Same-Sex Couples
Conveying the Ideas of Others: Summary, Paraphrase, and Quotation
Conclusion

23. Citing Sources
Knowing When to Cite
Discovering Citation Styles: MLA and APA
Discovering Citation Guides for Other Styles
MLA Citation Guide
Formatting a Paper in MLA Style
Jay Zhang, "McDonald's: A Limited Response to Increased Health Consciousness"
APA Citation Guide
Formatting a Paper in APA Style
Anne Feng, "The Monsters We Create: Vaccine Hesitancy, Anti-Smoking Campaigns, and Responsibility in Rhetoric
Conclusion

Part 5: Making It Public

24. Designing Your Project . Choosing Visual Elements, Layout, and Design
Consider Your Genre
Matching Design to Audience, Purpose, and Situation
Developing an Effective Layout
Practicing Inclusive Design
Understanding Types of Visual Elements
Incorporating Visual Elements
Using Electronic Tools
Conclusion

25. Presenting and Publishing Your Work
Delivering Oral Presentations
Developing Multimedia Presentations
Creating a Portfolio
Submitting Your Work for Publication
Self-Publishing Your Work
Conclusion

STYLE AND USAGE GUIDE

S1. How Verbs Work
What Is a Verb?
Common Problems

S2. How Nouns and Pronouns Work
What Is a Noun?
What Is a Pronoun?
Common Problems

S3. How Modifiers Work
What Is a Modifier?
Common Problems

S4. How Sentences Work
What Is a Sentence?
Common Problems

S5. How Punctuation Works
What Is Punctuation?
Common Problems

S6. How Clarity Works
What Is Clarity? ?
Common Problems

Readings

R1. Reading Personal Essays
Juan Garcia. "Spring Broken." [Topic: College Life]
Madeline Riskin-Kutz, "Ring"
Maya Ghazal, "Going the Distance"
Jonathan Corcoran, "Do I Have to Choose Between a Good Life and Good Teeth?"
Tamara Winfrey Harris, "Nappy Love" [Topic: Gender, Race, & Culture]

R2. Reading Profiles
Kayla Montgomery, "The Elephant in the Trunk" [Profile Article. Topic: College Life]
Linda Wasmer Andrews, "Adoptive Mothers Share Stories" [Profile Article. Topic: Modern Families]
WBALTV Baltimore, "Illegal Immigrant Becomes World-Renowned Brain Surgeon" [Profile Article. Topic: Immigration]
Dr. Dale, "Okorodudu" [Profile Article. Topic: Health and Wellness]
Julie Slaymaker, "Door Opener" [Profile Article. Topic: Gender, Race, & Culture]

R3. Reading Analyses
Anonymous, "Truth vs. Conventionality: An Exploration of Women's Agency in Jane Eyre" [Literary Analysis. Topic: College Life]
Christina M. LaVecchia, "Of Peerenting, Trophy Wives, and Effeminate Men: Modern Family's Surprisingly Conservative Remediation of the Family Sitcom Genre" (excerpt) [Rhetorical Analysis. Topic: Modern Families]
Debarati Bandyopadhyay. "Negotiating Borders of Culture: Jhumpa Lahiri's Fiction" (excerpt) [Literary Analysis. Topic: Immigration]
Sam Kantner, "Rhetoric in the Red Cross Website" [Rhetorical Analysis. Topic: Health and Wellness]
Roy Peter Clark. "Why It Worked: A Rhetorical Analysis of Obama's Speech on Race" [Rhetorical Analysis. Topic: Gender, Race, & Culture]

R4. Reading Reviews
Ian Flanagan, "Haze Screens at Pitt, Challenges Greek Rituals" [Film Review. Topic: College Life]
Cleyvis Natera, "Voice Thundering: A Review of The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo" [Book Review. Topic: Modern Families]
Karen Han, "Netflix's Tigertail Struggles to Balance the Past with the Present" [Book Review. Topic: Immigration]
Andy Francis, "Book Review: The Omnivore's Dilemma" [Book Review. Topic: Health and Wellness]
Sylvsz, "The Hate U Give" [Book review. Topic: Gender, Race, & Culture]

R5. Reading Arguments
Rui Dai. "Americanese: In Between the Gaps." [Op-Ed. Topic: College Life]
Kelly Huston. "Did I Vote on Your Marriage?" [Photograph. Topic: Modern Families]
Kristian Dougherty. "Aliens, Get Out!" [Satire. Topic: Immigration]
Maggie Mulligan, "You Are Not Alone" [Opinion Piece. Topic: Health and Wellness]
Aliyah White, "Breaking White Silence" [Opinion Piece. Topic: Gender, Race, & Culture]

R6. Reading Academic Research Genres
Han G. Tran, "Undergraduates' Grade-Point Averages Are Dependent on their Number of Friends" [Conference Poster. Topic: College Life]
Nicole Litvan, "The Loneliness of Digital Devices: Examining "Removed" (Photo Series) by Eric Pickersgill" [Research Article. Topic: Modern Families]
Kristin Anderson. "Coming to America." [Annotated Bibliography. Topic: Immigration]
Abraham Rudnick and Lara Hazelton, "An Annual Creative Writing Competition in Mental Health Humanities for Students in Canada: A Descriptive Report and Thematic Analysis" [Research article. Topic: Health and Wellness]
Elaine Chun, "Reading Race beyond Black and White." [Research Article. Topic: Gender, Race, & Culture]

R7. Reading Workplace Genres
Anonymous. "Open Letter to Interim Dean Brown" [Topic: College Life]
TigerMom. "An Open Letter to the Catholic League from An Adopted Child." [Business Letter. Topic: Modern Families]
Catholic Bishops of Wisconsin. "Traveling Together in Hope." [Business Letter. Topic: Immigration]
Western Wisconsin Health. "An Open Letter To Our Elected Officials And The Community." [Business Letter. Topic: Health and Wellness]
Joseph Graves and Erich D. Jarvis. "An Open Letter: Scientists and Racial Justice." [Business Letter. Topic: Race, Gender, and Culture]