Unlike the other books in the writing strand of the MCT language arts curriculum, The Writing of Literature is about literary writing, focusing on the language of classic fiction and nonfiction. The other writing books are about formal academic writing: academic essays and research papers—the sort of nonfiction writing that all students must do in academic courses and in most professions.

Michael writes in the introduction:

“Our task is to see what writing secrets great novels can teach us about the kind of writing that we do and to absorb writing elements that help us become great readers…. Classic novelists show us deeper strategies that are not usually mentioned in school instructions for beginners. One reason the writers of immortal books are immortal is that they take commonly known writing techniques to uncommon heights, finding uncommon depth and beauty in the ways they use them.”

The book contains practice exercises, essay or discussion topics, and substantial excerpts to read from classic authors, including nonfiction from James Madison, Mark Twain, Henry David Thoreau, Herman Melville, William Lloyd Garrison, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Ida M. Tarbell, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and W.E.B. Dubois.