Blog Post 9/11/17

            Every type of writing has its own purpose so no two styles are the same. Professional writing, for example, is utilized to persuade, interest, or inform the potential reader in a more formal voice. In order to make this style of writing more effective, rhetoric is often implemented into pieces of this form of communication. Rhetoric is commonly defined as a means of effective persuasive speaking or writing. This tool is extremely useful for professional communication because it places emphasis on the audience and, as a result, makes the writer more aware of how they are going to structure their piece to make it the most successful among their readers.

            With the guidance of rhetoric to more easily identify the purpose and audience of a writing piece, writers are able to alter the text to make it more effective. One of the most important things to understand as a professional writer is that different audiences have various amounts of experience. Therefore, the structuring of text in one writing may be common for one reader to encounter but it could also be intimidating for another. Technical and professional texts are commonly comprised of specific genres of writing including proposals, instructions, and fact sheets. It’s important to note that these styles of text displaying information are all very different. It is up to the writer to decide which form of presenting the text will most effectively please their audience. For example, someone reading instructions will be looking for a numbered, step-by-step list accompanied by visuals in order to troubleshoot something. Meanwhile, someone reading a proposal will want an explanation of the problem, how one is expecting to solve it, and how they are going to support this plan. Though these are both examples of technical texts, they are executed differently solely based on their audience. Changing the form of text to better appeal to one’s audience is critical because it will allow the readers to more easily follow and later use the information they were presented. Writers, however, not only have to alter their text for the communities they’re addressing but for whom they’re representing as well. This is important to note because there could possibly be restrictions imposed on the writer depending on who they are writing for and what it is that they are writing about.

            Bowdon and Scott also bring up the importance of the style of a professional writing piece. The style is frequently referred to as the presentation of text that is molded by word selection and sentence structure. The principle that the style of a text most fundamentally depends on is the relationship between the reader and writer. The closer the relationship between the two, the less formal the writing style needs to be. For informative purposes, however, the writer must be both clear and concise. Technical and professional writing is generally more simple and succinct than other forms of writing. This is so the text can have a greater amount of clarity. Since this form of writing tends to be more information heavy, it is imperative that the audience is able to easily digest this information so they are able to utilize it more effectively. Along with being clear, a professional writer must also be concise. Since their audience will be looking to scan the document quickly and retrieve the necessary information, the text cannot be too wordy. Too much wording in a text not only makes it distracting but can also take away from a writer’s credibility. More specifically, their ethos. On the other hand, the writing piece cannot be so concise that it is seen as being too simple or boring. In this case, the audience will be disinterested with the information presented and not want to read any further into the piece.

            When writing about homelessness in my personal narrative, I really had to think about the role that rhetoric would play if it were to be produced into a professional piece of writing. Though homelessness is an extremely ubiquitous issue across the globe, I cannot assume that everyone has the same level of knowledge about the matter. Therefore, I would need to find a balance of providing fundamental information regarding the matter while also not overwhelming the audience with a lot of facts and figures. In other words, I need to ensure I’m getting my message across while having a high level of clarity and conciseness.

3 thoughts on “Blog Post 9/11/17

  1. Overall I feel that this blog hit the major ideas contained within the Bowden and Scott piece. While some people believe rhetoric is simply a way of persuasion, it functions as so much more on an everyday basis. Specifically, in this blog its discussed about how rhetoric is very situational. While rhetoric could easily be used for persuasion, it can also be used to benefit everyday people. For example, it was mentioned that when it comes to things like instructional pieces, it would be best to use a numbered list that’s simple and concise to make it as easy as possible for the reader to get the information they need from it. There are two sides to this however. Later its mentioned that when writing the personal narrative, you needed to “find a balance of providing fundamental information … while also not overwhelming the audience.” This is definitely an understandable approach but its not completely sound. While when it comes to an informative piece, not everyone is looking for concise. Some people need a detailed description while some people may be looking for something with more pathos to make it easier to keep reading. These differences in style aren’t set for certain genres so that just further proves the skill and experience needed to successfully utilize rhetoric.

  2. Overall I feel that this blog hit the major ideas contained within the Bowden and Scott piece. While some people believe rhetoric is simply a way of persuasion, it functions as so much more on an everyday basis. Specifically, in this blog its discussed about how rhetoric is very situational. While rhetoric could easily be used for persuasion, it can also be used to benefit everyday people. For example, it was mentioned that when it comes to things like instructional pieces, it would be best to use a numbered list that’s simple and concise to make it as easy as possible for the reader to get the information they need from it. There are two sides to this however. Later its mentioned that when writing the personal narrative, you needed to “find a balance of providing fundamental information … while also not overwhelming the audience.” This is definitely an understandable approach but it’s not completely sound. When it comes to an informative piece, not everyone is looking for concise. Some people need a detailed description while some people may be looking for something with more pathos to make it easier to keep reading. These differences in style aren’t set for certain genres so that just further proves the skill and experience needed to successfully utilize rhetoric.

  3. I think this blog post really understood the Bowden and Scott chapter, but there is one thing I would like to debate. It comes from the line: “The closer the relationship between the two, the less formal the writing style needs to be.” In context, I understood what was being said: Two people who know each other well do not need to jump through the formal hoops that two people who do not know each other might. A writer might not, for example, need to explain how he or she is qualified to write about a topic, try to win over the reader, or stick to a standard writing format in order to convey a point.
    However, I think it is imperative not only to consider the relationship between the writer and the reader, but their roles as well. Regardless of whether the writer and reader are close, whether or not they will have shared experiences that will allow the understanding of the writing to be easier, both need to consider the other’s position and purpose. Bowden and Scott write, “Purposes are sometimes conceptualized as objectives or as specific, measurable outcomes that you want your text to achieve. How do you want your readers to respond to your text?” We need to consider the purpose of the reader when we write something. Regardless of my being best friends with the person reading my writing or not, my goal—whether it is to persuade, educate, or debate— needs to have the desired effect. And that might mean I will have to write something formally in order to teach, especially if he does not already know about the subject. I might not be able to use a more colloquial style because I would not want him to take my writing as a joke. So relationship along with purpose of writing is what will indicate the formality.

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