Tools and Settings
Content
Questions and Tasks
Welcome to Advanced Writing!
When we decided to create a new textbook about Advanced Writing, we made one major goal: that it NOT be boring. (We hope you agree!) So we chose this interactive online venue with cool tech we thought you'd enjoy: embedded videos INSIDE the textbook, lots of images and graphics, embedded quiz and discussion questions, even live links so you don't have to leave the textbook to go to a web page. Plus, you can read it on a computer, tablet, and even your phone!
So to help you reach your goals, we're going to give you a window into the world of good writing. Here's the actual view from my office window as I write this. Can you believe those mountains? We're going to be your guides as we climb the proverbial mountains to get the skills and knowledge you need to succeed as writers (cue song from The Sound of Music). We hope you'll do like our motto here at Brigham Young University:
Enter to Learn, Go Forth to Serve
We promise that if you'll work hard in this course, your efforts will pay off. You'll emerge from this journey stronger and with a broader vision of how you can influence the world as a better writer, a better learner, and a better person.
Sincerely,
Cristie Cowles Charles, Editor
Here's some of the cool tech you'll encounter in this book. Check it out so that you know what to do when you encounter these things later.
Videos are embedded into the text so you can just click on them inside the textbook and watch them there with no ads. Don't worry, these are simply fancy links that make it so the creators of the videos still get to count your click for their statistics. Here's a cool three-minute video about why these young men from inner-city Chicago choose to write. Try watching it by clicking directly on it.
Note: If you ever want to watch a video outside of the textbook, look at the bottom right corner and you'll see a link for Vimeo or YouTube that you can click on. Or the video's URL will also be listed directly under the video.
lib.byu.edu
Throughout the book there are questions that ask you to think about what you're reading or ask you to try out some of the writing techniques we're teaching. Your teacher might assign you to do these for credit, but even if not, they'll still be valuable for your learning.
How often do you get to tell textbook authors what you think? Now you can. And we can take it--we really want to know what you liked and didn't like or what was confusing or helpful. (Hey, if we talk the talk of seeking feedback, we should walk the walk, right?)
So please be sure to take the surveys at the end of each chapter so we can improve our own writing. It's for posterity!