Lane, Barry. After the End: Teaching and Learning Creative Revision. Portsmouth, NH:ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ Heinemann, 1993.Ý 229 p.

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Barry Lane divides this brass-tacks approach to the methods of teaching writing in the Bohemian fashion (see previous book report) into two sections:Ý the first, ìCreating a Language of Craft,î is worth a thorough reading for those learning to navigate the teaching of process writing; the second, ìThe Writerís Struggle,î deals with trouble areasÝ students and teachers often experience as they explore the methods and activities described in the first section.Ý Logical, practically applicable, well-documented with examples and discussion, and supplemented with abundant step-by-step procedures as well as spin-off activities, each section effectively builds the case that writing can and should be taught to all students with this type of approach.

Lane creates a language of writing technique as he describes methods of reworking and revising drafts.Ý Using questions to lead a writer into a piece differently, digging for details, adding ìsnapshotsî and ìthoughtshots,î building scenes, and ìexploding momentsî all become highly plausible and productive activities in the writing classroom, but Lane does not finish thereóhe continues with suggestions for ways for writers to find the form of a story, such as graphing, webbing, and moment-mapping; then he provides a guide to successful classroom conferencing and suggestions for ways a writer can re-enter a draft and find what to revise.Ý Part 2 deals specifically with process troublesóhow to help blocked writers freewrite, how to help readers/writers break out of the stilted, unimaginative basal reader style habitóand product troublesóhow to increase awareness of voice and tone, how to deal with revision in poetry, how to incorporate grammar instruction.Ý Lane discusses what does (or might) make a piece finished, and humorously identifies several writing ailments and how to use his previously discussed approaches to deal with them.

Far more than a textbook of theory in writing practice, After the End will have a place on my desk as an ultimately well-thumbed handbook of practical applications in this method of writing instruction. ìRevise this book!î says the handwritten dedication in the front of this copy, a rare and true example of promise into practice from Lane himself.Ý With such encouragement, we in my classroom will be revising a great deal moreóand more oftenófollowing his leads.