Be open to writing "differently" then you have in the past. Writing in English 101 takes more effort than in High School, but we have much more freedom of subject and style as well.

Avoid generalizations because they are boring and don't be afraid to be specific and opinionated. If you use a lot of specific details your readers will understand that you're really interested in what you are saying.

Don't let the MLA block good critical thinking and writing. Proper citation is a must, but Will, handouts, and the folks at the writing center can help you sort this out. It's best to use common sense about giving credit to your sources so don't let details stress you out while you are forming your ideas.

Learn to use the guides for MLA documentation at the beginning of the course--waiting to figure out all those details at the end of the course will just make for more work at a bad time.

Take advantage of idea structures and drafts to work out your ideas. Dont' wait until the last draft to really get into what you are writing.

Revision takes time and one of the things all writers must learn is to manage your time well!

Almost everything in the course can add up to something in your final portfolio or journal so take it day by day. Don't stress on trying to do a whole assignment in one try.

Sometimes Will seems like he wants everyone to be a great writer. It's just enthusiasm…don't take it personally unless you want to.

There are lots of assignments and Will accepts all attempts but he'll push you hard for your best work.

Will truly appreciates students who try hard.

Plan time to do two readings of every assigned reading. They are required as sources in all of the papers so it's better to do the work carefully when assigned. The reading and writing in this class really do add up.

Annotate your reading ideas, look up all words you don't know, ask questions about the reading, and do some quick research about the author--Will expects this of all students and he will actually inspect your reading notes.

Will calls on students without raised hands, but if you ask a question he'll always stop to try to answer it.

Don't get caught playing games or catching up on email on the computers in class--Will gets atomic on that one.

Take Will seriously when he says that he cares about both critical and creative thinking. He wants us to be critical of our readings and writing, and he's flexible enough to help us be creative about stuff we really like.

Have fun with your ideas and write your papers selfishly. Although Will will act like a cowboy keeping cows in the herd of a topic (education, art, or technology), he actually wants students to use their writing projects to learn what they most want to learn beyond writing.

Will is hip to a wide variety of ways to answer his writing challenges.

Listen to criticism and try to use it. It's human to be hurt by too much criticism or unfair criticism, but writers need to gather criticism intelligently and then act on it. Feeling hurt is not fun, but feeling smarter about your essays will make you feel better.

If you know of interesting texts that may be part of class, suggest them to Will and he will probably make copies for the whole class.

Save everything! Drafts are part of the writing process and sometimes Will makes us look very closely at our processes.

Handouts for one topic sometime work well in others.

Will loves to talk with all people--visit with him in his office as often as you can. Not only does he usually have free candy, but he will always try to help you with ANY of your learning concerns.

Whether you need help understanding how commas work or whether you are not able to cope with student life, no problem is too small or large for Will to at least talk with you.