This article describes an attempt to teach a group of 30 part-time mature students to be proficient writers by having them observe and evaluate their own learning practice and then summarize the conclusions in the form of a booklet to guide them in their continuing studies. In particular, it shows how experiencing and evaluating stages in the composing process provides an ideal subject matter for a writing course in which a product is required for assessment purposes and desirable as a demonstration of what has been learned.