The book moves in order from the broadest questions of structure to the most detailed questions of sentences and style. Designed for maximum appeal and usefulness, each chapter has a concise title naming a key component of the writing process-from 'Keywords' and 'Thesis Statement' to 'Structure' and 'Paragraphs.' Main concepts are summarized and then detailed in concrete bullet points at the chapter's end. Each chapter provides a distinctive blend of advice, templates, examples, exercises, and humorous commentary. The book shows that writing is a process, demonstrating in clear steps how to arrive at the kind of complex writing that professors are looking for.

Writing on Fire speaks directly to beginning writers in language that's fun and accessible, and makes an argument for humanistic college writing as a vital form of self-expression.