Explain the initial steps of writing an essay. Identify how your audience, purpose, and content will influence your approach.
Odd question, I am wondering if you have ever read an essay and asked for whom it was written, it's purpose, and did the author approach it correctly.
Read these and ask those questions:
http://www.ushistory.org/paine/crisis/c-01.htm
http://libertyonline.hypermall.com/henry-liberty.html
http://grammar.about.com/od/classicessays/a/dreamspeech.htm
Those ought to give you some great insight to how to write to a specific audience, with purpose, and vivid content.
Joe,
The most important thing you need to do is decide on who you want to reach with your subject. This will be the pivotal thing that can pull everything together. Once you do that, chose your subject. Once you do that decide what kind of tone will be appropriate for the audience you have chosen. Is it all for teens, adults, general, specific and inclusive? Keep it simple. Professor gave you some great speeches to look at. Think about a good way to capture your audience with a story, a quote, an illustration. Make it You but with a connection that is real with your audience.
Think about it Joe; think of yourself as a guest speaker to any audience you chose. Who would it be and why and for what purpose?
The initial steps of writing an essay involve understanding your audience, clarifying your purpose, and gathering relevant content. These steps are crucial as they shape the overall approach you take in writing your essay.
1. Identify Your Audience:
Consider who your intended readers are. Are you writing for your peers, a specific academic institution, a professional audience, or the general public? Understanding your audience helps you tailor your language, tone, and level of technicality accordingly. For instance, if you are writing for a specialized group, you might use discipline-specific terminology, while for a general audience, you would need to explain concepts in simpler terms.
2. Clarify Your Purpose:
Determine why you are writing the essay. Are you trying to inform, persuade, compare and contrast, analyze, or reflect? The purpose of your essay should guide your overall approach and the arguments you present. For example, if your purpose is to persuade, you need to provide strong evidence and logical reasoning to convince your audience of your viewpoint. If your purpose is to analyze, you would focus on examining different aspects of a topic and providing objective insights.
3. Gather Relevant Content:
Collect information, evidence, and examples that support your topic and purpose. This can involve conducting research, reading scholarly articles, books, or other relevant sources. Consider the credibility and reliability of the information you find. Keep track of all the sources you use as you will need to include proper citations in your essay. Organize your content in a logical structure, such as creating an outline, to ensure a coherent flow of ideas.
Your audience, purpose, and content influence your approach in several ways:
- Language and Tone: Based on your audience, adjust the language and tone of your essay. Be mindful of using appropriate terminology and jargon if necessary, or simplifying complex ideas for a general audience.
- Structure and Organization: Your purpose will determine the structure of your essay. For example, if you're analyzing a topic, you might use a compare and contrast or cause and effect structure. In contrast, if you are persuading your audience, you might use a clear introduction, body paragraphs with strong evidence, and a compelling conclusion.
- Choice of Examples and Evidence: Consider what type of evidence would be most compelling for your audience. Utilize examples, data, or research that your audience would find relevant and persuasive. Align the content to support your purpose effectively.
In conclusion, before beginning to write an essay, it is crucial to consider your audience, clarify your purpose, and gather relevant content. These initial steps will help you craft a well-targeted and purposeful essay that engages your readers effectively.