Research in secondary school composition instruction indicates that (1) emphasis on writing for the teacher-as-examiner is prevalent, (2) prewriting activities are limited, (3) there is little discussion of approaches to the topic or what information should be included, and (4) activities to help students while they are writing are almost nonexistent. A teaching method that can prevent students' anxiety and dislike for sustained writing is to treat writing assignments metaphorically as a journey, in which the teacher draws a map from start to destination and participates with the students in the journey and all of its uncertainties. A book report of four coherent paragraphs is an ideal journey. A map is drawn containing sections marked introduction, main characters, the best scene, and conclusion. Students write a paragraph for each section, in sequence, receiving whatever assistance they need while they write. After the first paragraph, students will have direction for the second paragraph, and most will be able to put ideas on paper with surprising ease. In four or five class periods they will be able to write a fairly well-organized composition. Anxiety will be reduced, confidence instilled, and a lesson will be taught that unites form and content with language development across a spectrum of vocabulary, diction, and sentence structure. (Sample student paragraphs are appended.) (HTH)