What do we mean by “writing”?

When we refer to “writing” throughout this book, we are imagining writing as an act of inquiry, a means of communication, and an articulation of thinking that involves choosing among diverse representational modes.

Writing is both process and product—a dynamic, meaning-making activity that extends beyond text-based forms to encompass multiple modalities through which ideas are explored and shared. As John Warner (2023) has argued, “Writing is simultaneously the expression and the exploration of an idea. As we write, we are trying to capture an idea on the page, but in the act of that attempted capture, it’s likely (and even desirable) that the idea will change.”

We believe, and research shows, that writing ability is continually developed rather than mastered.