Putting it together for an audience
Where do I even begin is probably the most common question students ask me about writing and understandably so! Many writing projects can seem almost impossible to visualize, much less to get started on. So, what to do when writing for an audience?
One of the first questions you should yourself is,” Who is,’ Who is going to read this and what do they want?”
Imagine yourself in the role of the reader it helps to think about probable age, economic values, and status. This exercise will not only help you sharpen your thesis but can also help you identify whether your argument is novel, specific, and interesting. As you imagine yourself as the reader of the piece ask yourself, does the idea excite you? Does it make you want to read more?
Decide what your readers know about the subject.
To help you answer this question, ask yourself, what is the probable source of their knowledge? Is it direct experience or observation? Will my readers react positively or negatively toward my subject? Does it state something obvious, or has it changed or challenged their perspective?
Next, ask yourself “What will my readers expect of my writing?“
Brainstorm before you write. Ask yourself, what is the main point I want to get across in this essay? What details do I want to include to illustrate that point? Once you start writing, go through each sentence and ask yourself, am I stating this in the clearest direct way possible?
You also need to consider how you can interest your readers in your subject.
Avoid flowery language. Readers can tell when you have used the thesaurus. You want your voice to sound authentic. It’s important to state your ideas clearly than it is to cloud them in big words. Use imagery and sensory details, of course. But use them naturally.
Finally, tighten tighten, tighten!
Go through every sentence with a fine-toothed comb. Can you make your verbs more active? Can you combine or condense sentences? Where can you cut words? Now, where can you cut some more?
When you have a character max for an essay, every word counts. Use them judiciously.
By,
Ms.Jaya Prabhakar,
CMRNPS teacher
