When teaching writing to adult learners, teachers must achieve a balance between "content" and "mechanics." The first step is to assign "real" writing for "real" purposes. The next step is to teach the writing process more than the product and teach the place that correct "mechanics" (spelling, punctuation, and grammar) holds at each step of the writing process. Good beginning exercises include having students generate life maps and write about the events on their map or having students write about people who have had a big impact on their lives or made contributions to their town. After students have put their thoughts on paper, they should be taught to conference and revise. Conferences should focus on whether students' writing is engaging, logical, and clear as to its intent. Conferences are the best place to teach "mechanics" in "mini-lessons" on "real-world mechanics." Mini-lessons should be 5 to 20 minutes long and focus on a single specific objective. Finally, students should be taught how to finalize their writing for a real audience. Students should be encouraged to publish their writing, including by contacting World Wide Web sites that publish amateur writers' work, writing children's books, writing letters to the editor of the local newspaper, and writing for newsletters. (Contains six references.) (MN)