The Writer's Practice: Building Confidence in Your Nonfiction Writing

by John Warner

"Unique and thorough, Warner's handbook could turn any determined reader into a regular Malcolm Gladwell." --Booklist

For anyone aiming to improve their skill as a writer, a revolutionary new approach to establishing robust writing practices inside and outside the classroom, from the author of Why They Can't Write

After a decade of teaching writing using the same methods he'd experienced as a student many years before, writer, editor, and educator John Warner realized he could do better. Drawing on his classroom experience and the most persuasive research in contemporary composition studies, he devised an innovative new framework: a step-by-step method that moves the student through a series of writing problems, an organic, bottom-up writing process that exposes and acculturates them to the ways writers work in the world.

The time is right for this new and groundbreaking approach. The most popular books on composition take a formalistic view, utilizing "templates" in order to mimic the sorts of rhetorical moves academics make. While this is a valuable element of a writing education, there is room for something that speaks more broadly. The Writer's Practice invites students and novice writers into an intellectually engaging, active learning process that prepares them for a wider range of academic and real-world writing and allows them to become invested and engaged in their own work.

Genres: Writing, Nonfiction, Teaching, Education, School, Professional Development, Reference

256 pages, Paperback

Published February 5, 2019

Reviews

[Osama · Rating 4 out of 5]

يشارك المؤلف تجربته في مجال الكتابة ويقدم مجموعة من النصائح للمهتمين بهذا المجال.

[Brigid Cruickshank · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the type of book where you can take what fits and leave what doesn't. I skipped around the text finding pieces here and there that I will use in class. The one I'm using today, Warner's analogy that sentences are to writers as paint is to an artist. They are not primary; "in the absence of the idea, there are no sentences to be made, just like the paint is useless unless an artist has sufficient inspiration."

[Monica · Rating 4 out of 5]

This has got some really useful sections and assignments for a first year writing class. I especially appreciate the sections on analysis and research, which are always challenging subjects to teach.

[Terry · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fairly useful compilation of non-fiction writing assignments that Warner offers up, along with his rational and some pointers. His prose is professional but accessible, authoritative without being dry. A good antidote to some other writing guides. Be aware that there are many writing-class issues not really addressed in this book, including grading, exemplar texts, writing groups, response, etc. A good addition to the tool box for what it offers: 30+ assignments - more than enough to last a year if revision and other odds and ends are tossed in.

[John Mcgeorge · Rating 4 out of 5]

To be honest, I wanted to give this 3.5 stars, but I can never quite figure out how to do half stars. Now, I neither outright loved nor hated this book. It seemed to have great potential, but his approach was a little choppy. But, he has a published book and I don't. All that being said, I might give him another chance, but I'd do a more thorough scan than I did with this. Some might find it worthwhile; it just didn't fully strike a chord with me.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I used this book for an entire semester because nothing else seemed to be working in my 17 years of teaching college comp. i loved it. But most importantly, the students loved it and their writing transformed.

[Kenzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very practical book about getting better at writing. It’s organized into different writing “experiences” that you can practice to help you improve your writing. Warner makes writing seem so accessible to everyone which I love. I can definitely see myself using his ideas with students.

[Nick · Rating 5 out of 5]

An incredibly helpful and easily applicable book. I love that Warner has essentially identified the types of writing experiences we have throughout our life and outlined how to write for each of them. Much more impressive than an expert who can explain complex concepts with complex language is the expert who can explain it with simple language. He makes these steps seem so clear and obvious, and he leaves ample room for filling in the blanks with your own unique expression. I can't wait to work these experiences into my pedagogy!

[Frieda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I took this book out from the library to delve into the world of nonfiction writing. Having published an article in an online career development journal, I was given a taste to what the process is all about and wanted to improve upon that experience.

What I liked about this book is that the author provides some insight into the characteristics of a writer and that everybody’s writing process is different. However, we all have process since we all write in some form or another. He provides keen advice on how to develop your “writer’s practice,” meaning that this is something that you need to engage in often, if not daily. Most books and blogs about writing suggest this – as with anything where you’d like to improve your “craft.”

The exercises in the book vary from topic to topic, forcing you to challenge your thinking as you go along. Very good book to read and engage with when you are starting out in your nonfiction writing development.

[Cara · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is succinct, with short, easily-digestible chapters and focused on the logistics of writing. I hadn't realized before reading it that it is geared towards college students in writing courses, though it is written to be generally accessible. Whenever Warner provides a student-specific example he typically provides an alternate example as well. I had thought the writing exercises would be more geared towards creative nonfiction writing exercises, but in reality they're more like alternatives to the research paper. For someone looking for the latter, this seems like an excellent book. It still had plenty of interesting tips and tidbits that can be applied to any type of writing, and the style is conversational, but it wasn't quite the book I was expecting from the description.

[Walker Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pros: Phenomenal! It starts off with the way we write instructions, and ends in the best way instructions should be written. It’s going on my list of reference books, and I highly recommend this book. I read this book three times, and learned five new useful tools at a minimum. This book is a must! One thing to remember is your audience, because it’s not about you.

Cons: None! I’m not a fan of peanut butter or anything with nuts in it, but I get the point nonetheless.

[Amy Grondin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is definitely more of what I was looking for after reading Warner's Why They Can't Write. I took away a lot of good, practical ideas for teaching writing. I really like the way he frames his "experiences," and while not every single one of them is for me (or my classroom), I can see myself adapting a handful of these for next year.

[Abby · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was not expecting exercises. I was expecting more advice. I enjoyed reading the exercises and questions imposed to further reflect on a writing, but I did not do any of them....yet. I was hoping for more than the exercises. This isn't a fair review because I can't quite put my finger on what I wanted specifically.

[Matt Carton · Rating 4 out of 5]

As invaluable a guide for me as Zinsser's On Writing Well; Elbow's Writing with Power; and Willams's Style: Lessons in Clarity & Grace. The one thing I wish Warner could have provided was a chapter on process. The protocols and lessons are great - but it could use with examples and results.

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review originally published in Looking For a Good Book. Rated 4.5 of 5

It takes a certain amount of courage for a teacher, who was taught in a certain way, and who in turn has taught in the same manner, to rethink his methods and to change the way he teaches a craft (or art). And this is precisely what John Warner has done. After a decade of teaching writing, Warner re-thought his technique and practice and decided to change the way he teaches. That change led to this book.

I haven't been a student for over 30 years, so I can't say how this compares with what others are teaching, but I found the general approach to be refreshing and motivating. Warner explains some of the changes he's made to his curriculum and why (what I found most unusual is not requiring a research paper at the end of the class - though his rationale made much sense).

Really what this book is, is a workbook. This is detailed lesson plans, with explanations as to why and how this might help, that the reader can immediately put into practice. It is also a really valuable resource for writing teachers and I can imagine a few will teach directly from this book.

My interest was caught up early on when Warner discussed "flow." Quoting psychologist Mihay Csikszentmihalyi who described "flow" this way:

The best moments in our lives are not the passive, receptive, relaxing times. . . . The best moments usually occur if a person’s body or mind is stretched to its limits in a voluntary effort to accomplish something difficult and worthwhile.

Warner then describes it: "Writing is thinking, and flow is a period of extremely elevated thinking that hardly feels like you're thinking at all."

This is something I've thought about but never seen put so succinctly into words, and of course that had me eager to see what else he'd present.

This is a great resource, especially for the beginning writer, though anyone who has ever faced writer's block might find some useful exercises here to help get them out of a rut.

This book targets non-fiction writing, but developing stronger writing skills will be helpful in any format.

I'm typically pretty suspicious of books that are writing self-help books, but I'm always on the lookout for a truly helpful such book. This may just be the book that really will be helpful to the young writer.

Looking for a good book? The Writer's Practice by John Warner is a wonderful resource for writing teachers, and helpful workbook for writers looking to strengthen their writing skills.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

[Hestia Istiviani · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read in English but this review is written in Bahasa Indonesia

Judul ini baru aku tahu dari unggahan Instagram Story milik Sophia Mega, seorang blogger yang aktif berbagi kesibukannya. Menarik, pikirku saat itu. Sebelum akhirnya memutuskan untuk membacanya, aku sempat membaca beberapa resensinya di Goodreads.

The Writer's Practice karya John Warner ini tergolong tipis. Meskipun begitu, isinya sangat berguna untuk penulis pemula. Warner membahas beberapa tipe tulisan yang bisa dilatih oleh setiap pembacanya. Ia membuka dengan menanyakan, tipe penulis seperti apakah kamu.

Sejak awal, Warner memang menyuguhkan dengan cara bertahap. Pembaca diajak untuk berlatih dengan anak tangga yang sudah ia jelaskan secara singkat namun mudah dipahami. Latihan demi latihan bisa dilakukan bersama dengan buku ini sehingga apabila satu tipe tulisan sudah berhasil dikuasai oleh pembaca, Warner akan mengajaknya untuk mengikuti latihan tipe tulisan yang lain di bab selanjutnya.

Bagiku pribadi yang beberapa kali harus mengisi kelas kepenulisan, The Writer's Practice ini sangat membantu untuk menjelaskan cara-cara menulis kepada peserta kelas. Sekaligus memberikan wawasan kepadaku tentang tipe tulisan yang bisa dijadikan latihan untuk pemula.

Secara keseluruhan, The Writer's Practice merupakan buku yang sangat membantu penulis pemula untuk mengembangkan kemampuannya.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful and accessible book that could easily be used in many college classrooms with--I predict--great success. The writing assignments/situations he maps out are clearly motivated and all grounded in forcing writers to consider the context, audience, and purpose of the work they are doing as writers. I especially liked how these assignments formed the foundation of the book and were punctuated by useful "lessons" in things like quotation, grammar, style, etc.

[Jessica]

Did not finish only because I am so busy that I wasn’t able to do the activities. It’s hard to say but the first chapter/activity was written in a thorough step-by-step fashion and really immersive. The author actually teaches writing. The book does say non-fiction on the cover but I think that this book can reference for any type of writing!

If reading and writing are something you’re interested in; this book would be a great reference.

[Brian Longtin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Because it's organized as a series of writing exercises, a non-teacher may be put off by the structure and think, "This isn't for me". But this slim, digestible, and pleasant read offers a lot of wisdom in a short page count about what it means to write well, what steps are important to produce good writing, and how to think about our writing to make it the best it can be. I'll be referring back to this lovely little book for years to come.

[Pamela · Rating 2 out of 5]

No fui fan. El título no era muy explicito y este libro es más un plan de mejora por semanas, empezando por escritor principiante. Yo pensé que era más ideas de prácticas aisladas enfocadas en alguien que ya escribe. Quizá en parte fue mi malentendimiento del título, pero a mí no me dejó mucho útil.

[Daniel Barkan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really like this book's approach to learning about writing. It doesn't spend time on discrete skill practice. Instead, it offers writing "experiences," and it's through each unique "experience" that the writer learns to focus on essential aspects of writing, such as the rhetorical situation and evaluating sources. I found a bunch of ideas that I think will be worth bringing to the classroom.

[Julie Huskey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I learned of this through Warner's a column for the website "Inside higher ed." It's intended as a guide for a first-year undergraduate writing course -- one I wish I'd taken.

I've not done any of the exercises, but I should.

[BookChampions · Rating 5 out of 5]

I guess I see this book as a supplement to his book, Why They Can't Write, but that doesn't make it any less satisfying of a read. I guess I would encourage to other readers and teachers to read that other book first and then pick up this one for its many practical writing lessons.

[Andrea Westcot · Rating 4 out of 5]

A smart book about essential skills. Not sure of its utility to a general audience (it is essentially a writing class in book form), but I think it would be quite useful as a reflective tool for writing teachers, homeschooling parents, and growing writers.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book to read as a reminder when I start new writing units in class. Reread the section on argument and research today and gave me a few ideas on how to get our students reading and writing in this format.

[Debs Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

This takes some of the teaching assignments mentioned in “Why They Can’t Write” and adds more with more explanation of their purpose—and I particularly appreciated the reflect and remix ideas for each assignment. I have taken something for every class I teach from G9-12.

[Lawrence · Rating 5 out of 5]

This read-through was mostly a quick skim but I can immediately see that this is the kind of book that I’d like to teach writing with— focused on experiences, audience, and authentic intellectual contributions rather than the rhetorical forms and habits of academic argumentation.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent companion piece to Why They Can’t Write. Warner gives a full set of writing prompts and reflections as well as some commentary, though most of that can be found in more detail in the previously mentioned book.

[Mr. Davies · Rating 4 out of 5]

The nuts-and-bolts after “Why They Can’t Write” (which I give a full five stars). This speaks directly to the generative rhetorical pedagogy that I re-discovered in William Coles’s “The Plural I.”

I am also now a big fan of Warner’s blog posts.

[Mary Vogelsong · Rating 3 out of 5]

A professor briefly covers multiple topics related to writing, but the bulk of the book is exercises he assigns. These may be somewhat helpful, but there is no way to get feedback once you have completed the exercise.