This process of writing to inquire invokes the rhetorical canon of
invention in that it inherently encourages writers to seek diligently for
ways in which they can contribute to the scholarly conversation on a
topic, think deeply about what genre or medium is most appropriate
for their contribution, and deliberate extensively regarding germane
evidence and examples with which they can develop and support their
argument. Moreover, in exercising curiosity, writers allow themselves
to be amenable to serendipity, opening themselves up to pursue fleeting
thoughts and extemporaneous ideas. For instance, in January 2008, we
initiated a project with three other collaborators that would mark the
then-impending ten-year anniversary of the WPA OS’s publication and
adoption by the CWPA. As part of the discussion fleshing out our ideas,
we realized that other than informal conversations on listservs, which
were largely supported by anecdotal evidence, the discipline failed to
possess a scholarly contribution that reflected on and detailed the potential
disciplinary influence of the document. This evidentiary gap created
the need for a scholarly piece doing just that. We pursued this idea, soliciting
chapters from colleagues and writing a book proposal. Ultimately,
we shepherded the project from a simple idea to a collection, which was
published in 2013. If we had not exercised curiosity and opened ourselves
up to serendipity, the project would have never materialized