Putting pen to paper

Many of us come across publications such as books, magazines, pages on the internet and reports everyday. Do you stop reading the message of the author even before reaching the end? Why do some books make it to Amazon's top 10 list must read books? Why do certain articles on the net receive so many hits?

There are many reasons why people write. Journalist write because their livelihood depends on it. Academics write because they want to share and spread what they know. Magazine writers write because of the specialise knowledge they have acquired. The list could go on and on. However, these writers need to consider several issues before they put pen to paper.      

Roger (1990) states that the first basic principle in a good document design is planning. It is important that a writer defines the purpose of the project before he attempt to start writing.  

However, it is also irrelevant for a writer to create a document if the sole purpose is for his own consumption. We write because we want others to share and understand our thoughts. According to Putnis & Petelin (1996), a writer needs to first identify who the target readers or audiences are. A single topic can be subdivided into different levels. For example, if we are ask to write about cars, are we writing about performance cars or cars that are use simply for commuting? 

Once we have identified our target readers or audiences, we need to understand what their needs are? A good writer will try to anticipate the information that the reader will want or need. If we write about performance car, will the reader want only to know about how much horsepower a car produce, or will the reader require other information like the fuel consumption of the car.

With the level of technology available today, information is no longer available only in print publication. Blogs, forum, social media and webpage are platforms available online a writer can use to reach out to mass audience almost instantly. Writers need to identify the demographics of the intended audience in order to decide whether to disseminate the information or documents through either print or online publication.

Once the needs of target audience or readers are identified, a writer should carry out research to enable them to produce contents that would capture attention. When information are structured properly, it is not just the readers that benefit, but the writers can better understand their own arguments.

English is viewed generally as the common global language. Freelance writing workshop (2011) advocates the proper use of grammar in any written communication. Writers must consider spelling, punctuations, writing style and wording before their is displayed to the world. The professionalism level of a writer is very much dependant on the proper use of grammar and form. 


References :

Roger C, P 1990, Looking good in print : a guide to basic design for desktop publishing, Ventana Press, Chapel Hill, NC

Putnis, P & Petelin, R 1996, Professional communication : Principles and applications, Prentice Hall, Sydney

Freelance writing workshop, 2011, The importance of written communication, viewed 27 Jaunuary,
<http://www.freelancewritingworkshop.com/importance_of_written_communication.html>