Web Picks on Writing 04: Myths about Writing

Question: What are some myths about writing and teaching writing?

Answer: National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE): Ten Myths about Writing.

RayS: My reaction to these 10 myths about writing is that they are half-truths. It’s true that kids have interesting ideas. It’s also true that some kids at some time run dry and have no ideas that strike them as interesting. It’s also true that real writers most of the time do not get it right the first time. But in writing memos, for example, they often do. They have a mental formula for what they want to say and they say it without spending a whole lot of time revising. So check out these myths about writing. What do you think? For me, every statement of a myth required a counter statement contradicting it. The URL is listed below.

http://www.ncte.org/prog/writing/updates/115419.htm.