This paper shows how the heuristics (organized questioning techniques) of contemporary literary criticism in the United States can be used to teach composition. Contemporary criticism emphasizes that literature should be viewed as a process of communication, not as a mere artifact or product of discourse. Teachers can apply this view of literature to instruction by showing students the choices they make as they move through the composition process. The heuristics that the students use would then reflect an interaction between the intentions of the author and the response of the audience. (RL)