Summary
WRTG 100 focuses on two primary skills:
1. Information literacy (“the ability to find, retrieve, analyze, and use information”).
Another name for this is research skills. You probably have some already, so this class will allow you to hone them.
2. Writing with clarity and grace in a variety of communicative situations.

Please review the syllabus and course sequence below. This course pattern must be followed unless special permission is granted. When you feel comfortable with the layout, notify the professor by email ([email protected]) that you are ready to begin. All assignments should be emailed to the professor in MLA format as an MS Word document.

Starting Checklist
____ 0. Order the textbook. The TWU bookstore typically keeps the book in stock as well.
____ 1. Read the syllabus carefully. Most problems arise because students don’t start here. You should find a PDF of the syllabus below at the bottom of the Important Links section.
____ 2. Familiarize yourself with the assignments and structure of the MyCourses page. The links are included for a reason!
____ 3. Choose a research focus. Your research and writing assignments will culminate in your final essay. Therefore, you should start by considering possible research topics. Students are encouraged to choose writing topics that relate to interests or work from other classes. For example, an assigned reading from another class may be used for the Paper 1 Summary as long as it matches the article requirements (approval of WRTG 100 professor is still necessary). If a student is doing a research project for another class, it is acceptable that research for the WRTG 100 topic be related. However, students may not turn in writing assignments that are substantially similar without previous approval from both instructors.
____ 4. Plan a list of potential due dates. You should allow at least 1 week between paper assignments, so that the professor has enough time to give you feedback. For example, you might have a schedule like this:

Saturday, January 1: Paper 1 & Style Assignment 1
Wednesday, January 5: Style Assignment 2
Saturday, January 8: Paper 1 Revision
**NOTE: While dates may be changed, it is best to be as accurate as realistic as possible when making the course plan. This self-directed study may not take longer than 6 months without special permission from Extensions and the professor.

____ 5. Email the professor ([email protected]) to indicate you are ready to begin. In your email, it is helpful to include
a little information about yourself: your reasons for taking the course, your planned course of study at TWU, etc.;
your schedule in the email so that the professor can alert you to any problems;
the article you hope to get approved for Paper 1.
Important Links

Academic Writing
Understand formatting requirements (MLA)
Understand some general guidelines for Academic Writing
A quick guide to formal academic tone
Read other websites about academic writing
Avoid plagiarism
Write strong topic sentences
Use evidence

Research
Discover What Students Don’t Know About Research
Review general guidelines for research
Get research help section on TWU’s Library website

Common Writing Problems
Commas
Sentence structure
Introducing and explaining quotes
Quotes and quote marks
Other punctuation
Syllabus PDF document
Style Assignment 1
Read Lessons 1 & 2. Do the following things:
Learning List: It’s normal to encounter unfamiliar writing terms (“What the heck is a ‘relative pronoun??’). Don’t be afraid to admit this! However, it’s important to understand these terms—if only so you know which ones to ignore and which ones not to. As you read, write down or underline some of the terms that you don’t understand. First look up the terms: there is a glossary on p. 249. The Purdue OWL website is also helpful. Write down any terms you still don’t understand and submit them with each assignment.
Short response (100-150 words): Lesson 1 says “the biggest reason most of us write unclearly is that we don’t know when our readers will think we are unclear” (6). It also says we need to learn “how the words you have put on the page make your readers feel as they do” (7). How should these observations change the way we think about our own writing?
Short response (100-150 words): Did Lesson 2 change your perspective about the relationship between ‘correctness’ and ‘rules?’ How might your understanding of this relationship affect your writing choices?