So, the spate of new NEWSwire articles seems to have ruffled a few feathers, my own included. And, since the semester has just started, my brain is somewhat stuck in "Teacher Mode", I thought I might list a few things that could help ANY writer in their endeavors.
The three things any writer needs to think about before writing are:
1. Topic
2. Audience
3. Purpose
1. Knowing your topic is essential. I don't mean you have to be a world renowned expert with appropriate degrees and an academic publishing record. But double checking your sources and seeing what other people have written is always a good idea.
This applies very easily to SG. Every board has a search function, and a quick check will show what has been written about any given topic and how it was received. It is also a good idea to see if there are any recent threads that cover the topic.
2. Being aware of your audience is critical for all writing. You don't write the same way for a group of 8th graders as you would for a group of college graduates. Misreading the audience can make your writing come off as condescending and insulting to the intelligence of the readers.
Again, this applies to SG. If there is one thing I have noticed about the people who read the NEWS threads, they are fairly well educated. Even those without a formal degree read a great deal and have self-educated in all sorts of areas. The same person on here can hold their own on in a conversation about the themes of Nabakov and the latest techie phone, while plotting their own blog on comic books and watching Dr. Who episodes on TV.
That is not to say everyone on SG is at the same intellectual level. But the people who are most likely to read and respond to the boards have a mind and a strong awareness of the world. Talking down to them, even unintentionally, will result in photos of kittens and Monty Python videos.
Remember: Not everyone is going to have the same interest in navel lint that you have. Take the time to learn about your audience before you put something out there.
3. Knowing your purpose is really going to determine if you should go ahead and put in the time to write it or not. If you are writing to inform, great. Make sure you have your facts in order and go for it. If you are writing to instruct on a craft or activity, wonderful. If you are writing to review an event, a concert, a convention, perfect. The goal, the purpose, of any writing should be to fill in a missing gap of some sort, and do it in a way that hasn't been done a thousand times before.
There is a difference between writing and blogging. In blogging, anything goes. In writing something that is meant to be read by a specific audience, you MUST be conscious of the three things I've talked about. If any of those are missing, the writing and reactions will suffer.
It is a harsh reality, but it is simply the way things are.
The three things any writer needs to think about before writing are:
1. Topic
2. Audience
3. Purpose
1. Knowing your topic is essential. I don't mean you have to be a world renowned expert with appropriate degrees and an academic publishing record. But double checking your sources and seeing what other people have written is always a good idea.
This applies very easily to SG. Every board has a search function, and a quick check will show what has been written about any given topic and how it was received. It is also a good idea to see if there are any recent threads that cover the topic.
2. Being aware of your audience is critical for all writing. You don't write the same way for a group of 8th graders as you would for a group of college graduates. Misreading the audience can make your writing come off as condescending and insulting to the intelligence of the readers.
Again, this applies to SG. If there is one thing I have noticed about the people who read the NEWS threads, they are fairly well educated. Even those without a formal degree read a great deal and have self-educated in all sorts of areas. The same person on here can hold their own on in a conversation about the themes of Nabakov and the latest techie phone, while plotting their own blog on comic books and watching Dr. Who episodes on TV.
That is not to say everyone on SG is at the same intellectual level. But the people who are most likely to read and respond to the boards have a mind and a strong awareness of the world. Talking down to them, even unintentionally, will result in photos of kittens and Monty Python videos.
Remember: Not everyone is going to have the same interest in navel lint that you have. Take the time to learn about your audience before you put something out there.
3. Knowing your purpose is really going to determine if you should go ahead and put in the time to write it or not. If you are writing to inform, great. Make sure you have your facts in order and go for it. If you are writing to instruct on a craft or activity, wonderful. If you are writing to review an event, a concert, a convention, perfect. The goal, the purpose, of any writing should be to fill in a missing gap of some sort, and do it in a way that hasn't been done a thousand times before.
There is a difference between writing and blogging. In blogging, anything goes. In writing something that is meant to be read by a specific audience, you MUST be conscious of the three things I've talked about. If any of those are missing, the writing and reactions will suffer.
It is a harsh reality, but it is simply the way things are.