Writing with an awareness of audience is conceptually an easy idea to understand. Most people understand that when writing a children’s book, swear words and sexual innuendo should be avoided. Likewise, most people realize that slang has no place in a formal business letter. It’s not hard to see that the reader you are writing for dictates the way you will present your content.
The hard part comes in remembering to write for a target audience as you compose your work.
As a teacher who uses repetition to help important concepts stick in students’ minds, I would like to draw your attention to Eric Cumming’s guest post “The Second Golden Rule of Writing” on the blog Write to Done. Cummings’ message is clear and to the point: write for your reader(s). Combined with his first golden rule of writing (i.e., intend every word you write), these two rules address an awareness of the choices an author makes when writing that I wish more of my students had.
Photo credit: Batmoo
