A Cognitive Process Theory of Writing

In this piece by Linda Flower and John R Hayes, the section "goals, topic, and text" resonate best for me. Logically, it makes sense to me what they have to say about how writers plan and organize what they are going to write, but then change mid-writing because of extenuating circumstances such as their own knowledge of a topic. Flower and Hayes write that the writer's representation of their goals, their knowledge of the topic, and the current text "are all actively cometing for the writer's atention. Each wants to govern the choices and decisions made next."

When analyzing how writers write, this theory I believe is key to understand. Once this process is understood, teaching how to overcome these competing ideas will be more clear.

What is interesting about Flower and Hayes' discussion are the two types of wrtiers they talk about. Those who understand and are able to work through these ideas and "use writing for discovery" and those who "seem simply to free associate on paper or to be obsessed with perfecting the current text". Flower and Hayes assert that for this kind of writer the problem is not that knowledge or text have interfered, but that "the writer's own goals and/or images of the composing process put these strategies in control". Ultimately what all of this goes to explore is their "cognitive process theory" - one that I agree with. The process of writing is never-ending, Flower and Hayes assert. This process is also ever-changing and can not be nailed down to a specific a, b, c process. Goals change, knowledge interferes, and understanding of text formulates, reformulates and changes.