The Writing Situation: Purpose, Audience, and Tone
Your Writing Situation Sales Account Manager for Intel Possible partnership with Apple, creating chip for next generation of phones/iPads You are asked to write the proposal to Apple What is at stake? What are your odds of success?
Prewriting Identify purpose and audience and consider the appropriate tone (the writing situation) Decide what needs to be said and in what order Choose the most appropriate format (letter, e-mail, report, etc.)
Purpose Why am I writing this document? What am I hoping to accomplish? Purposes Create a record Request or provide information Persuade
Audience Who will read what I have written? Audience Types Expert Layperson Executive Technician Complex
Audience and Categories of Communication Upward: Intended for those above you in the workplace hierarchy Lateral: Intended for those at your own level. Downward: Intended for those below you in the hierarchy. Outward: Intended for those outside your workplace.
Multiple Audiences Primary Audience: the reader(s) for whom your document is primarily intended Secondary Audience: Another reader(s) who may have reason to read part or all of your document
Global Audiences Increasing amount of transcultural interaction in the workplace Cultural differences are part of audience awareness High-context culture: emphasis on background and the interpersonal Low-context culture: emphasis on directness
Tone What attitude does my document convey? Angry Sad Helpful Calm Respectful, etc.
Typical Tone: Reader-centered Courteous and positive Formal but not stuffy
Reader-Centered Perspective You Approach Emphasizing the reader’s needs and interests, especially by using “you” whenever possible Positive Wording Choosing words that emphasize the positive in a negative message
Layaway Policy: To avoid wasting valuable time, we insist that you bring your receipt to the layaway desk. OR Layaway Policy: So that we can serve you better, please bring your receipt to the layaway desk.
Examples We are flattered that you want to open an account with us. We are open from 7 am to 4 pm. OR Thank-you for opening an account with us. For your convenience, we are now open from 7 am to 4 pm.
Ethical Responsibility Don’t suppress, falsify, fabricate, or withhold information Don’t overstate or understate Don’t misquote Avoid deliberately subjective wording Avoid conflicts of interest Do not plagiarize