Many people dread the process of formal writing, finding it frustrating, and even agonizing. Most of their difficulties, however, are self-imposed - a result of mistaken ideas about the nature of writing.

These two lectures help undo those errors. Mr. Schwartz discusses:

1. The essential characteristic of good writing.
2. Communicating an idea vs understanding it.
3. The crucial integrating function of the theme.
4. Context - the reader's vs the writer's. 
5. The writer's division of labor between his conscious mind and his subconscious.

In addition, Mr. Schwartz delineates each of the steps of the writing process - from "thinking out loud" to making "laundry lists" to constructing outlines to final editing.

These lectures offer valuable information on both the science and the mechanics of writing.