Invention and Craft, Second Edition

Ronda Leathers Dively—retired Southern Illinois University Rhetoric and Composition Professor and writing program administrator—is the author of Preludes to Insight: Creativity, Incubation and Expository Writing (Hampton Press, 2006),  Invention and Craft: A Guide to College Writing (McGraw-Hill, Inc., 2016) and Creativity and the Paris Review Interviews: A Discourse Analysis of Famous Authors’ Composing Practices (Anthem Press, 2022). In addition, she has written numerous articles on expository writing pedagogy and writing program administration.

• PART ONE: CREATING FOUNDATIONS FOR COMPOSING; Chapter 1: Composition and Creativity; Chapter 2: Composing Processes and Creative Processes; Chapter 3: Rhetorical Situations; Chapter 4: Invention Strategies; Chapter 5: Research Strategies ; PART TWO: CREATING TEXTS THAT INFORM, Chapter 6: Introduction to Texts that Inform; Chapter 7: Memoir; Chapter 8: Profile; Chapter 9: Report; Chapter 10: Annotated Bibliography; PART THREE: CREATING TEXTS THAT ANALYZE, Chapter 11: Introduction to Texts That Analyze; Chapter 12: Writing-Process Analysis; Chapter 13: Visual Analysis; Chapter 14: Rhetorical Analysis; Chapter 15: Literary Analysis; PART FOUR: CREATING TEXTS THAT ARGUE, Chapter 16: Introduction to Texts That Argue; Chapter 17: Research Proposal; Chapter 18: Review; Chapter 19: Position Paper; Chapter 20: Problem-Solution Paper ; PART FIVE: CREATING PRESENTATION-QUALITY FINAL PRODUCTS, Chapter 21: Source Integration and Citation; Chapter 22: Document Design; Chapter 23: Revision and Editing ; Chapter 24: Peer and Instructor Review; Chapter 25: Portfolios

“I was very pleased to encounter a composition textbook that counters the distinction between academic writing as it exists in many university courses and writing that can be considered ‘creative.’ What particularly impressed me is that each chapter begins by discussing a ‘myth’about writing, a feature that is likely to generate fruitful student discussion and useful insights that can be used in multiple disciplines.” — Irene L. Clark, PhD, Professor of English, Director of the Composition Program, California State University, Northridge, USA“Dively’s book is a game-changer. Unlike similar textbooks, it forefronts and expounds the creative process essential to all successful writing. Perhaps more importantly, it emphasizes the deeper roots of creativity, presenting expository writing as a creative act that transfers to other university courses, and everything beyond.” — Ryan Crawford, Director of First-Year Writing and Lecturer, Department of English, College of Arts & Sciences, University of New Haven, West Haven, CT, USA“Advocates for a greater focus on creativity in the composition classroom will find Invention and Craft a breath of fresh air. Bringing together creativity theory and research in composition pedagogy, Dively provides a framework for incorporating creative writing in the expository writing classroom.” — Brian J. Stone, Associate Professor of English, Director of Writing Programs, Indiana State University, USA