This developmental paragraph-to-essay text seeks to empower student writers by showing them that writing is a series of choices and that all aspects of the writing process are within their control as writers. As students learn to make effective writing choices, they will produce more effective writing.

Writing Choices is also designed to teach students to be aware of the writing process while at the same time teaching them the traditional structures of the essay, the rhetorical modes, and the fundamentals of English grammar. All stages of the writing process — from prewriting to revision — are introduced as the book first teaches the rhetorical modes at the level of the paragraph and then shows how to use and combine these modes at the essay level. Grammar and punctuation concerns are addressed in each chapter as well as in an in-depth section at the end of the text.

Frequent examples — both student and professional — illustrate important points so that students can see how the instruction applies to the kinds of writing they actually do. At least one major writing assignment is included per chapter, as well as journal and computer exercises.