1. Tuesday, 11/1
DISCUSSING MIKE ROSE’S “RIGID RULES,
INFLEXIBLE PLANS, AND THE STIFLING OF
LANGUAGE: A COGNITIVIST ANALYSIS OF
WRITER’S BLOCK”
2. Journal Prompt
Look at the issues that Rose identifies in each of his
study participants (Ruth, Laurel, Martha, Mike,
Sylvia, Dale, Ellen, Debbie, Susan, Miles). Can you
relate to any of these students? How so?
3. Quiz in groups…
Create a list of writing rules or patterns that your
character follows in his or her writing process. Are
these algorithms or heuristics?
5. Blockers vs. non-blockers
Quiz Part 2: In your group, make a list of either:
A) Blockers: What causes your writer’s block? How do
you try to overcome it?
B) Non-Blockers: What do you do during the
composing process that keeps you from
experiencing writer’s block?
6. What Rose Found…
“It was constant, surprising, almost amusing if
its results weren’t so troublesome, and, in final
analysis, obvious: the five students who
experienced blocking were all operating either
with writing rules or with planning strategies
that impeded rather than enhanced the
composing process.”
How do you add up?
7. Non-
Blockers: Just write.
• If rules don’t make sense or apply, reject
them.
• Keep going.
• Reject what isn’t working.
• Three out of five of nonblockers always get to
know professors and ask for help.
8. Put it all together…
“Portrait of a Writer” due in class Tuesday, 11/8
Remember to record yourself and bring your
transcript on Tuesday, 11/8
9. Portrait of a Writer
The portrait of my relationship with writing is
saturated with pigments of academic growth and
exposes a struggle between who I am and what I
aspire to be. Writing to me is like an endless canvas;
a painting that continues to beautify.
The person who helped me identify writing as a
canvas is my mother. When I was young, she would
always read my class papers to see if they were
acceptable or not.
10. Write…
What suggestion would you make to this student?
What is unclear?
In your own “Portrait of a Writer”:
--Describe your current relationship with writing
--Explain how this relationship was established
--Describe the factors (people, rules, things) that
have affected your relationship with writing and your
writing process
11. Remember…
No Class on Thursday!
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