ABSTRACT
So far we have been concerned with many aspects of writing—except the act of writing itself. I have discussed some of the relationships between composition and transcription, language and thought, spoken and written language, and writing and reading, circling around but never focusing upon what the writer actually does. What exactly goes on in the mind, behind the scenes, when words flow from the hand? To what extent can we control, or even know, what transpires backstage in the brain during the act of writing?
