Chapter 2. The Reading and Writing Processes - This chapter begins with a general description of both the reading and writing processes and shows how these processes parallel each other: the stages of the reading process (previewing, reading, and reviewing) parallel the stages of the writing process (preparing, composing, and rewriting). You are encouraged in this chapter to think through your reading and writing processes in order to gain ownership and power over your own literacy practices. The chapter first provides suggestions for ways in which to read both thoroughly and critically. Then, the writing process is described and explained, along with a summary chart of the stages of the writing process to be discussed in chapters 3 through 5.

Chapter 3. Preparation - Chapter guides you through preparing to write, using both rhetorical principles and many invention and prewriting techniques. Several HELP boxes are included to show the ways in which computers can help writers during the preparation stage of the writing process.

Chapter 4. Composing- This chapter is geared toward helping you write a first draft of an essay. You are encouraged to go back and review your writing preparations before drafting -- any prewriting you may have done plus your working thesis and preliminary outline. You should build on these exploratory efforts as you draft your essay. The chapter tries to make it clear that this is not a clean, neat, linear process but rather a cumulative effort that makes use of previous thought and exploratory writing about the topic. Several suggestions are made to help you use computers to best advantage while composing, including the use of multiple documents and windows. You are also encouraged to collaborate with other students as you compose and to work effectively in computer lab settings. Finally, a draft of a student essay, with teacher comments, is included as a model for you to study and review.