By: Evan Harris
How to write and how not to write—those are the questions. When a person writes they need to do so with purpose and with a focus on how they want their message to be received.
In Fall of 2019, I am taking EH 340 Developing Digital Documents and EH 301 Read/Write/Research for English. Both of these classes have helped my writing style become more professional and focus-orientated.
Know your audience
When a person writes a professional document, one of the first things they have to consider is their audience. Whether you’re emailing a professor, writing a term paper or drafting an article for a publication, you should always know who your audience is and edit your content accordingly.
Font choice is another valuable consideration, as well as page design and format. This type of thinking is something I have learned in Dr. Bacha’s EH 340 class. I would seriously recommend this class to anyone. Developing Digital Documents nudges you to become creative and design publications in a way that both invites and holds the reader’s attention.
Know your focus
You should always know why you are writing. Professionals write to instruct, inform or persuade. These purposes will help guide the reader’s interpretation.
When you write, you should never assume your reader already knows what you’re taking about. You are the expert and must convey information to your audience, so emphasize your message. Your writing should have clarity; the reader must be able to understand what the document is about in the first thirty seconds.
Writing professionally is a skill everyone should acquire. You might be selected for an interview just because you chose the perfect font to make you stand out. If you you would like to improve your writing, I would definitely recommend the classes I listed above.
