Writers at Work: The Short Composition is based on the popular Bridges to Academic Writing, which it now replaces. The book starts where Writers at Work: The Paragraph leaves off. It teaches low intermediate to intermediate level students how to compose multi-paragraph short compositions. Students tap into their personal experience to organize their writing, using academic modes of organization, such as exemplification and cause and effect. In addition, students learn how to write about works of fiction and nonfiction by summarizing and citing sources. The approach in this book assumes that even lower level students can handle a full-blown process approach. In each chapter, students work through a five-step composing process: Getting Started, Preparing the First Draft, Revising Your Writing, Editing Your Writing, and Following Up.