In the proliferation of articles about using computers in the composition classroom published in the last five or ten years, few mention anything about preparing students to compose on a computer while all assert that computers do indeed help the composing process. Preparing students to compose on a computer involves three major processes: instruction, documentation, and consulting. The goal of instruction is threefold. First, it is necessary to remind students that the computer will be a tool with which to write in the same way that a pen and paper are tools. Second, writers must know the computer keyboard to get the maximum benefit from the program they are using. And third, they need a thorough introduction to the software they will be using. A necessary reinforcement for even the most effective instruction is documentation such as handouts, newsletters, and online help programs. Finally, instructors should learn and tell their students about the types of consulting that are available through their department and through the school's computing services. For a computer to be a composing tool as well as a typewriter, instructors must prepare their students to use it. (SRT)