Writing About Literature: How Do I Get Students to Write About Literature?

LIMITATIONS OF “LIST AND GIST” WRITING ABOUT LITERATURE Much writing about literature occurs solely as worksheets consisting of identification of information about a text, book reports that simply summarize a story, or five-paragraph essays focused on “proving” a single point with little development of thinking. This writing functions in an information-transmission classroom to simply inform the teacher that the student knows the “right answers,” retells a story, or “proves” their point.