1. Elements of the Rhetorical Triangle
Audience
Writer
Purpose
Every communication is essentially a trilateral relationship.  Each point of the triangle influences the others, and all are influenced by the context of the communication.  Each point of the triangle bears some responsibility for the success of the communication, and each point of the triangle corresponds with one of Aristotle's three appeals (i.e., general means of persuasion). 
Audience:
(What should you know about your readers?)
How much do they already know about your subject?
What do you expect to see in a document? (format, organization, style)?
What prejudices or preconceptions might they have about your subject?
What do they need to know?
What are their interests?
Writer:
(How do you want to appear to your audience?)
What impression do you want to make on your readers?
How will you show that you are worth trusting? (credibility)
How will you demonstrate that you are an authority on your subject?
What do you have in common with your audience in order to create a bond with them?
Purpose:
(What are you trying to achieve by writing?)
To persuade (all writing for this class is persuasive in some way)
To inform
To express yourself