Response to Chapter 5 of A Writer Teaches Writing, by Donald Murray

         In Chapter 5 of A Writer Teaches Writing, Murray talks about how to invite students into good writing. He uses a metaphor that I really liked: “Good writing comes only by invitation, and many more invitations are mailed than accepted” (pg. 83). All the normal tools that a teacher uses in most courses will be useless in a writing class until the teacher finds a way to invite the students into good composition and get them used to creating their own writing. Until the student has a piece of their own work to apply the instructor’s lessons to, all the teachings are just abstract thoughts that are easily dismissed by the student. In this way, writing is not only the goal of the class, but also the first step to learning the process- just getting the students writing.

            Murray describes many ways to help invite writing that surprises the writer. All writers have the need to write. Most students don’t realize they have that need, so it is the teacher’s job to reveal it. Every student’s need to write will be different. The teacher should give assignments that allow each of the students to fulfill their own writing need, at least to get them started. Once they have developed that passion for writing, then I think the teacher can begin giving more specific assignments. Another thing that writers need to produce good writing is time. Students must be given time to think and process what they will write, then put it on paper. However, they also need a deadline to motivate them to finish. Teachers should take this into account when giving deadlines. I also think that teachers should give writing time in class, at least while students are initially learning their writing process. As a major procrastinator myself, when teachers didn’t require me to write in class, turn in a rough draft, or any proof other than the final draft, I always did the paper the night before. While I still usually managed to get a good grade on the assignment, it wasn’t helping me to learn the writing process or put down my best work, and I think that is what is most important in a writing course. Another condition of good writing is good reading. When someone reads really great writing, they have the desire to create something as impactful. This encourages students to write. I think this is why it is important to read good writing in writing classes. I think the novels, essays, or short stories read in class must not only be good, but must also interest the students. I loved reading To Kill a Mockingbird my freshman year, and it definitely made me want to write something as beautiful and lasting, but I also know a lot of students who hated reading it. I think a good way to solve this is to let each student pick some of their own novels, as well as those read by the whole class. I would take a list of great books, classics all the way to current works, and let them pick off of that. This way they could experience good writing in a form they care about.

            After describing ways to get students writing, Murray describes ways to plan assignments that will aid the student most in learning to write good, surprising, enjoyable work. Murray suggests a combination of open and closed assignments. Open assignments will give the students the freedom to write what they care about in whatever way they want, while closed assignments will teach them to write to a prompt, style, deadline, etc. I think that the closed assignments should come only after the open assignment has been mastered, or at least has become a habit. Writing classes do not need to be all writing assignments. It is good to include presentations by both the instructor and students, as well as discussion, demonstration, and work-shopping. Each teacher will be different, and each student will be different. It is up to each instructor to decide what combination of techniques works best for each class they teach.