The Act of Writing: A Media Theory Approach

Front cover......Page 1
Title page......Page 4
Copyright......Page 5
Acknowledgements......Page 6
Contents......Page 7
List of Exhibits......Page 12
Dedication......Page 14
1.A Media Theory Approach......Page 16
A media theory approach......Page 18
Texts and the construction of meaning......Page 19
Processes of mediation......Page 22
The Sapir-Whorf hypothesis......Page 29
When is a tool not a tool?......Page 36
Metaphors for the word processor......Page 42
Language and mediation......Page 46
3. The Written Word......Page 55
Writing and mediation......Page 58
Writing and revision......Page 62
The death of completed texts......Page 68
4. Writing as a Way of Thinking......Page 73
Dimensions of discovery......Page 74
Inspiration......Page 76
Writing may lead to writing......Page 78
The discovery of meaning......Page 80
Making connections......Page 84
Drafting and discovery......Page 85
Bodily thinking......Page 87
The inadequacy of ‘problem-solving’......Page 88
Discovery of form......Page 90
When is a text finished?......Page 93
Discovery and ideology......Page 96
Descriptive frameworks......Page 99
Writing, personality and cognitive style......Page 101
Values, purposes and the functions of texts......Page 108
‘The medium is the message’......Page 113
Intertextuality......Page 116
Academic writing......Page 120
The authorial ‘I’......Page 122
Structures......Page 131
The format of experimental papers in science......Page 135
A sense of machinery......Page 138
6. Writing Tools......Page 140
Tools and rituals......Page 141
Resonances......Page 144
Writing speed......Page 147
Writing tools and written style......Page 151
Tools and revision......Page 158
Tools and composing styles......Page 161
Tools and subject-matter......Page 164
Handwriting and the sense of self......Page 165
Tools and tactility......Page 167
Writing as carving......Page 175
Tools and extension......Page 178
Texts as objects......Page 180
Writing tools and consciousness......Page 183
Writers as readers......Page 187
Limitations of the screen......Page 189
7. Writing in Academia......Page 193
Academic tribes and territories......Page 194
Personality differences in academic disciplines......Page 197
Academic roles......Page 201
Kinds of writing......Page 205
‘Writing-up’......Page 209
Collaborative writing......Page 212
Motives for publishing......Page 213
The academic publishing system......Page 216
Choosing or being chosen......Page 220
Writing tools and social relations......Page 221
Architectural strategy......Page 232
Bricklaying strategy......Page 233
Oil painting strategy......Page 234
Water-colour strategy......Page 236
Mixed strategies......Page 237
References......Page 240
Index of Names......Page 257
Index of Topics......Page 264