This site hosts individual chapters of Cheryl Ball and Drew Loewe's (2017) open-access collection Bad Ideas About Writing alongside their matching episodes from Kyle Stedman's (2020-2022) audio version. The original text of Bad Ideas About Writing is available as a PDF textbook via West Virginia University Libraries. The podcast adaptation is available via Spotify (once upon a time, Anchor.fm) and in most other podcatchers. The book, the podcast, and this website are all licensed with a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license.
Kyle Stedman reads the Introduction to Bad Ideas About Writing. Audio and text of this section are available below and on the standalone page for the Introduction.
Download the PDF of this chapter: Introduction + Editors' Bios, by Cheryl E. Ball and Drew M. Loewe
Kyle Stedman reads the bad idea "Rhetoric is Synonymous with Empty Speech" by Patricia Roberts-Miller. Audio and text of this section are available below, as well as via the standalone page for Chapter 2.
Chapter keywords: conceptual metaphor, deliberative rhetoric, public argumentation, rhetorical topoi
Download the PDF of this chapter: "Rhetoric is Synonymous with Empty Speech" by Patricia Roberts-Miller
Kyle Stedman reads the bad idea "America is Facing a Literacy Crisis" by Jacob Babb. Audio and text of this section are available below, as well as via the standalone page for Chapter 3.
Chapter keywords: first-year writing, knowledge transfer, literacy crisis, semiliterates
Download the PDF of this chapter: "America is Facing a Literacy Crisis" by Jacob Babb
Kyle Stedman reads the bad idea "First-Year Composition Prepares Students for Academic Writing" by Tyler Branson. Audio and text of this section are available below, as well as via the standalone page for Chapter 4.
Chapter keywords: citizenship, current traditionalism, freshman composition, process theory, writing studies
Download the PDF of this chapter: "First-Year Composition Prepares Students for Academic Writing" by Tyler Branson
Paul G. Cook reads his own bad idea chapter, "First-Year Composition Should Be Skipped." Audio and text of this section are available below, as well as via the standalone page for Chapter 5.
Chapter keywords: rhetorical listening, contingent labor, deep learning, dual enrollment, ethics, first-year composition, literacy, rhetoric, writing pedagogy
Download the PDF of this chapter: "First-Year Composition Should Be Skipped" by Paul G. Cook
Kyle Stedman reads the bad idea "You Can Learn to Write in General" by Elizabeth Wardle. Audio and text of this section are available below, as well as via the standalone page for Chapter 6.
Chapter keywords: dispositions, genre conventions, genre, literacy, transfer
Download the PDF of this chapter: "You Can Learn to Write in General" by Elizabeth Wardle
Kyle Stedman reads the bad idea "Writing Knowledge Transfers Easily" by Ellen C. Carillo. Audio and text of this section are available below, as well as via the standalone page for Chapter 7.
Chapter keywords: composition studies, metacognition, transfer of learning, vertical curriculum
Download the PDF of this chapter: "Writing Knowledge Transfers Easily" by Ellen C. Carillo
Kyle Stedman reads the bad idea "Reading and Writing Are Not Connected" by Ellen C. Carillo. Audio and text of this section are available below, as well as via the standalone page for Chapter 8.
Chapter keywords: literacy acquisition, literacy, new literacies, reading pedagogies, reading wars, reading–writing connections
Download the PDF of this chapter: "Reading and Writing Are Not Connected" by Ellen C. Carillo
Kyle Stedman reads the bad idea "Reading is Not Essential to Writing Instruction" by Julie Myatt. Audio and text of this section are available below, as well as via the standalone page for Chapter 9.
Chapter keywords: close reading, metacognition, model texts, reading rhetorically, recursive reading, rhetorical genre studies, standardized testing
Download the PDF of this chapter: "Reading is Not Essential to Writing Instruction" by Julie Myatt
Kyle Stedman reads the bad idea "Writers are Mythical, Magical, and Damaged" by Teri Holbrook and Melanie Hundley. Audio and text of this section are available below, as well as via the standalone page for Chapter 10.
Chapter keywords: workshop, writing as a profession, writing as process, writing lives
Download the PDF of this chapter: "Writers are Mythical, Magical, and Damaged" by Teri Holbrook and Melanie Hundley
Kyle Stedman reads the bad idea "You Need My Credentials to be a Writer" by Ronald Clark Brooks. Audio and text of this section are available below, as well as via the standalone page for Chapter 11.
Chapter keywords: credentials, empowerment, growth, optimism, process movement, support, writing community
Download the PDF of this chapter: "You Need My Credentials to be a Writer" by Ronald Clark Brooks
Enrique Paz reads the chapter he co-wrote with Dustin Edwards: "Only Geniuses Can be Writers." Audio and text of this section are available below, as well as via the standalone page for Chapter 12.
Chapter keywords: authorship, collaboration, genius, history of authorship, influence, originality, remix
Download the PDF of this chapter: "Only Geniuses Can be Writers" by Dustin Edwards and Enrique Paz
Jill Parrott reads her chapter "Some People Are Just Born Good Writers." Audio and text of this section are available below, as well as via the standalone page for Chapter 13.
Chapter keywords: authorship, critical reading, literacy, metacognition, writing instruction
Download the PDF of this chapter: "Some People are Just Born Good Writers" by Jill Parrott
Kyle Stedman reads the bad idea "Failure is Not an Option" by Allison D. Carr. Audio and text of this section are available below, as well as via the standalone page for Chapter 14.
Chapter keywords: basic writers, failure, growth mindset, productive failure, struggle, writing process
Download the PDF of this chapter: "Failure is Not an Option" by Allison D. Carr
Kyle Stedman reads the bad idea "There is One Correct Way of Writing and Speaking" by Anjali Pattanayak. Audio and text of this section are available below, as well as via the standalone page for Chapter 15.
Chapter keywords: African American Vernacular, cultural rhetorics, Ebonics, non-standard dialect, rhetorical genre studies, writing and class
Download the PDF of this chapter: "There is One Correct Way of Writing and Speaking" by Anjali Pattanayak
Jennifer M. Cunningham reads her chapter "African American Language is Not Good English." Audio and text of this section are available below, as well as via the standalone page for Chapter 16.
Chapter keywords: African American Language, African American Vernacular English, Black English, Ebonics, grammar, linguistics, Standard American English, Standard English, Standard Written English
Download the PDF of this chapter: "African American Language is Not Good English" by Jennifer M. Cunningham
Kyle Stedman reads the bad idea "Official American English is Best" by Steven Alvarez. Audio and text of this section are available below, as well as via the standalone page for Chapter 17.
Chapter keywords: English-only myths, immigrant communities, literacy, national language, Official English, plurilingual writing
Download the PDF of this chapter: "Official American English is Best" by Steven Alvarez
Kyle Stedman reads the bad idea "Writer's Block Just Happens to People" by Geoffrey V. Carter. Audio and text of this section are available below, as well as via the standalone page for Chapter 18.
Chapter keywords: blank pages, play of names, puns, writer’s block
Download the PDF of this chapter: "Writer's Block Just Happens to People" by Geoffrey V. Carter
Kyle Stedman reads the bad idea "Strong Writing and Writers Don't Need Revision" by Laura Giovanelli. Audio and text of this section are available below, as well as via the standalone page for Chapter 19.
Chapter keywords: ideal reader, revision strategies, revision, writing about writing, writing as process
Download the PDF of this chapter: "Strong Writing and Writers Don't Need Revision" by Laura Giovanelli
Jimmy Butts reads his chapter "The More Writing Process, the Better." Audio and text of this section are available below, as well as via the standalone page for Chapter 20.
Chapter keywords: getting things done, post-process, process, recursivity, revision
Download the PDF of this chapter: "The More Writing Process, The Better" by Jimmy Butts
Kyle Stedman reads the bad idea "Strunk and White Set the Standard" by Laura Lisabeth. Audio and text of this section are available below, as well as via the standalone page for Chapter 21.
Chapter keywords: grammar, literacies, Standard English, style, writing handbook
Download the PDF of this chapter: "Strunk and White Set the Standard" by Laura Lisabeth
Kyle Stedman reads the bad idea "Good Writers Always Follow My Rules" by Monique Dufour and Jennifer Ahern-Dodson. Audio and text of this section are available below, as well as via the standalone page for Chapter 22.
Chapter keywords: good/effective writing, prescriptive writing, style, writer’s block, writing process
Download the PDF of this chapter: "Good Writers Always Follow My Rules" by Monique Dufour and Jennifer Ahern-Dodson
Kyle Stedman reads the bad idea "Writers Must Develop a Strong, Original Voice" by Patrick Thomas. Audio and text of this section are available below, as well as via the standalone page for Chapter 23.
Chapter keywords: audience, authenticity, intertextuality, origins of writing, reading as meaning-making, speech, voice
Download the PDF of this chapter: "Writers Must Develop a Strong, Original Voice" by Patrick Thomas
Kyle Stedman reads the bad idea "Leave Yourself Out of Your Writing" by R. Joseph Rodríguez. Audio and text of this section are available below, as well as via the standalone page for Chapter 24.
Chapter keywords: emerging writers, first-person point of view, writing assumptions, writing instruction, writing voice
Download the PDF of this chapter: "Leave Yourself Out of Your Writing" by R. Joseph Rodríguez
Kyle Stedman reads the bad idea "Never Use 'I'" by Kimberly N. Parker. Audio and text of this section are available below, as well as via the standalone page for Chapter 25.
Chapter keywords: emerging writers, first-person point of view, writing assumptions, writing instruction, writing voice
Download the PDF of this chapter: "Never Use 'I'" by Kimberly N. Parker
Kyle Stedman reads the bad idea "The Passive Voice Should be Avoided," by Collin Gifford Brooke. Audio and text of this section are available below, as well as via the standalone page for Chapter 26.
Chapter keywords: active voice, cohesion, grammar, mechanics, passive voice, sentences
Download the PDF of this chapter: "The Passive Voice Should be Avoided" by Collin Gifford Brooke
Kyle Stedman reads the bad idea "Teaching Grammar Improves Writing" by Patricia A. Dunn. Audio and text of this section are available below, as well as via the standalone page for Chapter 27.
Chapter keywords: authentic writing, English language, grammar, rhetoric, usage
Download the PDF of this chapter: "Teaching Grammar Improves Writing" by Patricia A. Dunn
Kyle Stedman reads the bad idea "Good Writers Must Know Grammatical Terminology" by Hannah J. Rule (https://www.hannahjrule.com/). Audio and text of this section are available below, as well as via the standalone page for Chapter 28.
Chapter keywords:grammar instruction, grammar, pedagogical grammar, rhetorical grammar, writing instruction
Download the PDF of this chapter: "Good Writers Must Know Grammatical Terminology" by Hannah J. Rule
Kyle Stedman reads the bad idea "Grammar Should be Taught Separately as Rules to Learn" by Muriel Harris. Audio and text of this section are available below, as well as via the standalone page for Chapter 29.
Chapter keywords: COIK (Clear Only If Known), grammar, grammatical correctness, language arts, literacy, rules of grammar, teaching grammar
Download the PDF of this chapter: "Grammar Should be Taught Separately as Rules to Learn" by Muriel Harris
Kyle Stedman reads the bad idea "Formal Outlines Are Always Useful" by Kristin Milligan. Audio and text of this section are available below, as well as via the standalone page for Chapter 30.
Chapter keywords: outlines, post draft outlining, reverse outlining, writing as a process, writing process
Download the PDF of this chapter: "Formal Outlines Are Always Useful" by Kristin Milligan
Kyle Stedman reads the bad idea "Students Should Learn about the Logical Fallacies" by Daniel V. Bommarito. Audio and text of this section are available below, as well as via the standalone page for Chapter 31.
Chapter keywords: argument, invention, logic, reasoning, rhetoric
Download the PDF of this chapter: "Students Should Learn about the Logical Fallacies" by Daniel V. Bommarito
Nancy Fox reads her chapter exploring the bad idea "Logos is Synonymous with Logic." Audio and text of this section are available below, as well as via the standalone page for Chapter 32.
Chapter keywords: logic, logos, persuasive discourse, philosophy, rhetoric, rhetorical theory
Download the PDF of this chapter: "Logos is Synonymous with Logic" by Nancy Fox
Kyle Stedman reads the bad idea "Excellent Academic Writing Must be Serious," by Michael Theune. Audio and text of this section are available below, as well as via the standalone page for Chapter 33.
Chapter keywords: academic writing, comedy, composition, humor, writing
Download the PDF of this chapter: "Excellent Academic Writing Must be Serious," by Michael Theune
Kyle Stedman reads the bad idea "Creative Writing is a Unique Category," by Cydney Alexis. Audio and text of this section are available below, as well as via the standalone page for Chapter 34.
Chapter keywords: composition and rhetoric, creative writing, creativity, genre, reading, workplace writing
Download the PDF of this chapter: "Creative Writing is a Unique Category," by Cydney Alexis
Kyle Stedman reads the bad idea "Popular Culture is Killing Writing," by Bronwyn T. Williams. Audio and text of this section are available below, as well as via the standalone page for Chapter 35.
Chapter keywords: fan communities, genre, participatory culture, popular culture, remix
Download the PDF of this chapter: "Popular Culture is Killing Writing," by Bronwyn T. Williams
Kyle Stedman reads the bad idea "Popular Culture is Only Useful as a Text for Criticism" by Mark D. Pepper. Audio and text of this section are available below, as well as via the standalone page for Chapter 36.
Chapter keywords: affect, cultural studies, fandom, popular culture, taste studies
Download the PDF of this chapter: "Popular Culture is Only Useful as a Text for Criticism" by Mark D. Pepper
Kyle Stedman reads the bad idea "The Five-Paragraph Essay is Rhetorically Sound" by Quentin Vieregge. Audio and text of this section are available below, as well as via the standalone page for Chapter 37.
Chapter keywords: basic writing, current-traditional rhetoric, discursive writing, five-paragraph essay (or theme), prescriptivism
Download the PDF of this chapter: "The Five-Paragraph Essay is Rhetorically Sound" by Quentin Vieregge
Kyle Stedman reads the bad idea "The Five-Paragraph Essay Transmits Knowledge" by Susan Naomi Bernstein and Elizabeth Lowry. Audio and text of this section are available below, as well as via the standalone page for Chapter 38.
Chapter keywords: academic writing, banking model of education, five-paragraph essay, problem posing, transition to postsecondary education
Download the PDF of this chapter: "The Five-Paragraph Essay Transmits Knowledge" by Susan Naomi Bernstein and Elizabeth Lowry
Kyle Stedman reads the bad idea "The Five-Paragraph Theme Teaches Beyond the Test" by Bruce Bowles, Jr. Audio and text of this section are available below, as well as via the standalone page for Chapter 39.
Chapter keywords: assessment washback, curriculum, five-paragraph theme, interrater reliability, localized assessment, portfolio assessment, standardized testing, validity
Download the PDF of this chapter: "The Five-Paragraph Theme Teaches Beyond the Test" by Bruce Bowles, Jr
Kyle Stedman reads the bad idea "Research Starts with Answers," by Alison C. Witte. Audio and text of this section are available below, as well as via the standalone page for Chapter 40.
Chapter keywords: argument, claim-based writing, classical argument, data-driven writing, research paper, research writing, rhetoric
Download the PDF of this chapter: "Research Starts with Answers," by Alison C. Witte
Kyle Stedman reads the bad idea "Research Starts with a Thesis Statement," by Emily A. Wierszewski. Audio and text of this section are available below, as well as via the standalone page for Chapter 41.
Chapter keywords: discovery, process, research, thesis, thesis-first research model
Download the PDF of this chapter: "Research Starts with a Thesis Statement," by Emily A. Wierszewski
Kyle Stedman reads the bad idea "The Traditional Research Paper is Best" by Alexandria Lockett. Audio and text of this section are available below, as well as via the standalone page for Chapter 42.
Chapter keywords: big data, Boolean logic, data deluge, traditional research paper, web 2.0
Download the PDF of this chapter: "The Traditional Research Paper is Best," by Alexandria Lockett
Susanmarie Harrington reads the bad idea "Citing Sources is a Basic Skill Learned Early On." Audio and text of this section are available below, as well as via the standalone page for Chapter 43.
Chapter keywords: citation, plagiarism, researched writing, working with sources, writing development
Download the PDF of this chapter: "Citing Sources is a Basic Skill Learned Early On" by Susanmarie Harrington
Kyle Stedman reads the bad idea "Plagiarism Deserves to be Punished" by Jennifer A. Mott-Smith. Audio and text of this section are available below, as well as via the standalone page for Chapter 44.
Chapter keywords: borrowing, citation, patchwriting, plagiarism, referencing, source use, textual
Download the PDF of this chapter: "Plagiarism Deserves to be Punished" by Jennifer A. Mott-Smith
Kyle Stedman reads the bad idea "Grading Has Always Made Writing Better" by Mitchell R. James. Audio and text of this section are available below, as well as via the standalone page for Chapter 45.
Chapter keywords: assessment, formative assessment, grading, grading alternatives, summative assessment
Download the PDF of this chapter: "Grading Has Always Made Writing Better" by Mitchell R. James
Kyle Stedman reads the bad idea "Rubrics Save Time and Make Grading Criteria Visible," by Anna Leahy. Audio and text of this section are available below, as well as via the standalone page for Chapter 46.
Chapter keywords: assessment, formative feedback, revision, rubric, summative feedback
Download the PDF of this chapter: "Rubrics Save Time and Make Grading Criteria Visible," by Anna Leahy
Kyle Stedman reads the bad idea "Rubrics Oversimplify the Writing Process" by Crystal Sands. Audio and text of this section are available below, as well as via the standalone page for Chapter 47.
Chapter keywords: critical thinking, faculty course loads, rubrics, self-evaluation, writing assessment
Download the PDF of this chapter: "Rubrics Oversimplify the Writing Process" by Crystal Sands
Kyle Stedman reads the bad idea "When Responding to Student Writing, More is Better" by Muriel Harris. Audio and text of this section are available below, as well as via the standalone page for Chapter 48.
Chapter keywords: evaluation, feedback, grading, response, writing center
Download the PDF of this chapter: "When Responding to Student Writing, More is Better" by Muriel Harris
Christopher R. Friend reads his chapter "Student Writing Must be Graded by the Teacher." Audio and text of this section are available below, as well as via the standalone page for Chapter 49.
Chapter keywords: open peer review, peer review, rhetoric and civic engagement, student writing self-assessment, writing community engagement
Download the PDF of this chapter: "Student Writing Must be Graded by the Teacher" by Christopher R. Friend
Kyle Stedman reads the bad idea "Machines Can Evaluate Writing Well," by Chris M. Anson and Les Perelman. Audio and text of this section are available below, as well as via the standalone page for Chapter 50.
Chapter keywords: essay grading, high-stakes writing tests, machine scoring, standardized tests, writing assessment
Download the PDF of this chapter: "Machines Can Evaluate Writing Well," by Chris M. Anson and Les Perelman
Kyle Stedman reads the bad idea "Plagiarism Detection Services Are Money Well Spent," by Stephanie Vie. Audio and text of this section are available below, as well as via the standalone page for Chapter 51.
Chapter keywords: Blackboard, Creative Commons, plagiarism, SafeAssign, Turnitin
Download the PDF of this chapter: "Plagiarism Detection Services Are Money Well Spent," by Stephanie Vie
Kyle Stedman reads the bad idea "SAT Scores Are Useful for Placing Students in Writing Courses," by Kristen di Gennaro. Audio and text of this section are available below, as well as via the standalone page for Chapter 52.
Chapter keywords: criterion-referenced tests, norm-referenced tests, placement testing, SAT, test use and misuse, validity, writing assessment
Download the PDF of this chapter: "SAT Scores Are Useful for Placing Students in Writing Courses," by Kristen di Gennaro
Kyle Stedman reads the bad idea "Texting Ruins Students' Grammar Skills," by Scott Warnock. Audio and text of this section are available below, as well as via the standalone page for Chapter 53.
Chapter keywords: computers and composition, correctness, digital writing, error, grammar, linguistics, texting
Download the PDF of this chapter: "Texting Ruins Students' Grammar Skills," by Scott Warnock
Kyle Stedman reads the bad idea "Texting Ruins Literacy Skills," by Christopher Justice. Audio and text of this section are available below, as well as via the standalone page for Chapter 54.
Chapter keywords: colloquial language, digital literacy, digital rhetoric, linguistics, nonstandard language, orthography, standard language, texting
Download the PDF of this chapter: "Texting Ruins Literacy Skills," by Christopher Justice
Kyle Stedman reads the bad idea "Gamification Makes Writing Fun," by Joshua Daniel. Audio and text of this section are available below, as well as via the standalone page for Chapter 55.
Chapter keywords: avatar, design, gamification, gaming, ludic, play, procedural rhetoric
Download the PDF of this chapter: "Gamification Makes Writing Fun," by Joshua Daniel
Kyle Stedman reads the bad idea "The More Digital Technology, The Better," by Genesea M. Carter and Aurora Matzke. Audio and text of this section are available below, as well as via the standalone page for Chapter 56.
Chapter keywords: cognition, digital literacy, digital writing, multimodal writing, technostress
Download the PDF of this chapter: "The More Digital Technology, The Better," by Genesea M. Carter and Aurora Matzke
Kyle Stedman reads the bad idea "Digital Natives and Digital Immigrants" by Phill Michael Alexander. Audio and text of this section are available below, as well as via the standalone page for Chapter 57.
Chapter keywords: digital literacy, digital native, technoliteracy, tech savvy, prosumer
Download the PDF of this chapter: "Digital Natives and Digital Immigrants" by Phill Michael Alexander
Andrew Hollinger reads his chapter "You're Going to Need This for College." Audio and text of this section are available below, as well as via the standalone page for Chapter 58
Chapter keywords: FYC/first-year composition, high school to college transition, threshold concepts, writing pedagogy
Download the PDF of this chapter: "You're Going to Need this for College," by Andrew Hollinger
Kyle Stedman reads the bad idea "Dual-Enrollment Writing Classes Should Always Be Pursued" by Caroline Wilkinson. Audio and text of this section are available below, as well as via the standalone page for Chapter 59.
Chapter keywords: college-level writing, composition/rhetoric, dual enrollment, writing studies, writing-program administration
Download the PDF of this chapter: "Dual-Enrollment Writing Classes Should Always Be Pursued" by Caroline Wilkinson
Kyle Stedman reads the bad idea "Secondary-School English Teachers Should Only Be Taught Literature" by Elizabethada A. Wright. Audio and text of this section are available below, as well as via the standalone page for Chapter 60.
Chapter keywords: secondary English education programs, rhetoric, AP Central, writing pedagogy, first-year writing
Download the PDF of this chapter: "Secondary-School English Teachers Should Only Be Taught Literature" by Elizabethada A. Wright
Kyle Stedman reads the bad idea "Face-to-Face Courses Are Superior to Online Courses," by Tiffany Bourelle and Andy Bourelle. Audio and text of this section are available below, as well as via the standalone page for Chapter 61.
Chapter keywords: asynchronous methods, face-to-face instruction (f2f), MOOCs, multimodal composition, online writing instruction (OWI), synchronous methods
Download the PDF of this chapter: "Face-to-Face Courses Are Superior to Online Courses," by Tiffany Bourelle and Andy Bourelle
Kyle Stedman reads the bad idea "Anyone Can Teach an Online Writing Course," by Beth L. Hewett. Audio and text of this section are available below, as well as via the standalone page for Chapter 62.
Chapter keywords: online learning, online writing instruction, OWI, reading online, reading to learn, writing feedback, writing online, writing process
Download the PDF of this chapter: "Anyone Can Teach an Online Writing Course," by Beth L. Hewett
Kyle Stedman reads the bad idea "Anyone Can Teach Writing," by Seth Kahn. Audio and text of this section are available below, as well as via the standalone page for Chapter 63.
Chapter keywords: academic labor, adjunct, contingent, non-tenure-track faculty, writing program administration/administrators, writing studies
Download the PDF of this chapter: "Anyone Can Teach Writing," by Seth Kahn