Writing Difficulties

[Extract] Writing is a complex task. It is a goal-directed and selfsustained activity, requiring the skillful management of the writing environment; the constraints imposed by the writing topic; the intentions of the writer(s), and the processes, knowledge, and skills involved in composing (Zimmerman & Reisemberg, 1997). It involves much more than this, however, as writing is a social activity too (Schultz & Fecho, 2000), that includes an implicit or explicit dialogue between writer(s) and reader(s). How and what is written is further shaped by the writer’s community as well as the larger contexts in which writing operates (culture, institutional, historical, and so forth). For instance, the shape and texture of writing can differ considerably amongst friends communicating on the internet versus the same friends writing a school report. The cognitive/motivational demands of writing and the social/cultural factors that shape it make writing a demanding task.