Although current theories concerning the composing process overlap in useful and interesting ways, a paradigm is emerging. This article discusses two of the major assumptions of this emerging paradigm: that there are distinct purposes for each kind of discourse (for example, expressive, literary, persuasive, and referential) and that the relation of speaker, audience, and subject is basic to all types of discourse. The article then explores four kinds of questions which should help researchers test and refine these assumptions. The questions involve the process of composing, published writing, writing done at different age levels, and eliciting writing and assessing writing performance. Current theorists referred to throughout the article are J.L. Kinneavy, Richard Lloyd-Jones, Walker Gibson, and James Moffett. (JM)