Three adult males met 2 hours a week for 26 weeks in a non-academic setting to explore writing. Adult One (A-1) and Adult Two (A-2) were limestone miners and close friends. Adult Three (A-3) had some limited academic writing experience, so A-1 and A-2 thought that he knew more about what made writing effective. A-3 observed the others' writing processes, recording verbal exchanges, making field notes, and then analyzing the data. Patterns emerged in A-1 and A-2's writing. They each began with an "idea," the core of a story to be transferred through writing to an audience. Next, A-1 and A-2 used legal pads to write a first draft. The aim of a second draft was to "dress up" the initial draft. Further drafts were prepared in successive steps. In the critique stage, both writers either would search for someone to read and evaluate their work or would critique each other's work. Eventually, both writers would prepare a draft intended for the final destination, whether that was a peer review group or a publisher. Next came the time of heartache and frustration, bringing rejection slips. Each writer's process was in constant change, but each learned and improved through peer interaction. Perhaps writing teachers can be more effective if they suggest to students that there is more than one way to write. (Sixteen references are attached.) (SG)