Why do we rewrite?

You’ve written something great. Or maybe you’ve written something that’s just good enough.

In any case, why rewrite or revise it?

What professional writers say

monarch_butterfly__insect__complete_metamorphosis_by_oobichan-d5e99mtYou might think that professional writers can just spit out good writing on the first try, the way a professional basketball player can make that ball swish through the hoop seemingly without effort.

This is actually not the case. What professional writers say is that the first draft is almost always just the germ of … Read the rest!

What is an essay and why should you care?

The first time I taught an essay writing class, one of my students raised her hand as I was talking.

“Excuse me,” she said. “But what does S. A. stand for?”

EssayLike I always tell my students, there is no stupid question. But that question was surprising to me at the time!

Now I realize why people haven’t heard of essays: because they don’t see a need for them in their daily lives.

In reality, though, essays are not only … Read the rest!