Response – Good Writing

Response – Good Writing

Person 1

Hello Levi,

You have a good insight into what makes a good writing. To some extent, I concur with you that accuracy, effectiveness, and ability to draw the readers’ attention are some of the key aspects of good writing. The explanation that you found in the textbook is quite consistent with your ideas, and the extra information is useful as well. As well as the rules and regulations of writing in different contexts and situations, may it be academic, professional, or informal. The tone and format should be chosen according to the given context and the people that are going to be addressed. As the text points out, it is imperative to adhere to the rules to establish effective communication. I also agree with your focus on the fact that writing should be clear enough so that the average reader will not need to reread the text.

You are right in stating that attention-grabbing qualities can be of any form depending on the context and the channel of delivery. Good headings, visuals, and correct utilization of emphasis can all go a long way in capturing the attention of the reader as well as guiding them to the most important information. It appears that we are on the same page regarding the characteristics of good writing. In this context, the textbook is useful in presenting the basic and advanced rhetorical features and the particularities of the strategies that contribute to writing quality. I appreciate your input and how it relates to the course.

Person 2

Hi Ruby,

I have to concur with you in your opinion that good writing depends on the targeted group. In my opinion, one of the major heuristic rules of writing identified in the article is what is written should be ‘easy to read.’ However, ‘easy to read’ means one thing in different contexts. For instance, the article notes that common sense is a product of experience.  Therefore, while deciding which of the strategies to employ in writing, the author must consider the level of experience of the audience.

I also appreciate your example on the distinction between teenage magazines and news-writing. The friendly and informal tone can be suitable for a teen magazine, but it is inappropriate for real news articles. It is necessary to stick to the formal and informal language construction depending on the audience. I also like your point that one should take into account the goal of the writing activity. Therefore, if the writer knows the audience and the aim of a piece of writing, they can make the right choice in selecting the words, constructing the sentences, deciding on how many details to provide, and many more related factors.

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Before attempting this discussion, re-read the section 4.3 on good writing found in chapter 4 and at this link: https://open.lib.umn.edu/businesscommunication/chapter/4-3-good-writing/

Please reply to persons 1 and 2. using examples from the article.

Response – Good Writing

Person 1

Hello, my name is Levi Schewe and I am a Professional Writing and Communication major. The most interesting thing about me is that I finished secondary school two years early. I used that extra time to travel and compete in chess tournaments. Now I’m pursuing my dream of becoming a professional writer.

I think of good writing as having  three aspects. First, it has to be “accurate”.  I think of accuracy as correct grammar and formatting that fits the context. Second it needs to be “effective”. I believe all writing (fiction or non-fiction, short or long form) needs to be written so that the average reader can understand the main points in their first read. And lastly I think good writing is “attention getting”. This can mean a lot of different things depending on the context of the material. In a textbook this can mean strong headings and relevant images/graphics. And in a bulletin board memo it can mean using a highlighter to put a empathizes on the key points.

The textbook’s definition and my definition were fairly close. And I’m sure that is true for all of my peers in this course. We all can recognize good or poor writing when we see it. The strength of the textbook’s explanation is to further understand why good writing works the way it does.

For example, 4.3 explains that good writing as containing six parts. Particularly, “follows the rules” is inline with my idea of writing needing to be “accurate” in terms of grammar and formatting. As 4.4 explained that this goes further than just academic grammar rules. Tone matters. Am I texting a friend or emailing a coworker? You can be overly formal or too colloquial in your communication. Both mishaps create a break or snag in communication. You need to understand the rules of engagement before you even start writing.

Another way the text went more in-depth than my explanation was providing a formalized table of Logos, Ethos, and Pathos. Specifically, I think the “Logos” section better explained my idea of “effective”. Keeping clarity in mind will mean that there isn’t any doubt about the meaning of any particular passages or words in your writing. “Conciseness” means you are sticking to or putting an empathizes on the important information. And abiding to the “arrangement” aspect means you are ordering your information in a way that either builds an argument or prompts a better understanding of information for the reader. Together all three of those aspects increases the information retention of a first time reader which is in the spirit of my “effective” idea of good writing.

Personally all the ideas in the text resonated. The text helped label and formalize ideas I believe are important to “good writing”. I also loved the promotion of reading to become a better writer.

Person 2

Hello, my name is Ruby, and I am a transfer student into the Communications and Professional Writing program here at SMSU. I am currently working full time at a daycare as an infant teacher. An interesting fact about me is that I love to sing and play multiple instruments. I also love going out on my kayak in my free time!

I believe good writing is dependent on the audience that it is being written for. Of course, it is always important to use proper grammar, punctuation and neat sentence structure but if it is easy to read or not is highly dependent on the intended audience. For instance, if you were to write an article for a teen magazine, the writing may be a bit more relaxed as compared to a news article. For some, the news article may be easier to understand and to others, the relaxed writing and pace of the magazine may be right up their alley.

I would say my definition of good writing is comparable to the text in the way that writers typically know their audience and use that to their advantage. It is important to know what the purpose of your assignment is for your writing to be effective. Knowing your audience will help you figure out said purpose. This article definitely opened my eyes to all that goes into “good writing” and I look forward to applying these concepts to my studies this semester.