The Writing Process
Plan
Start by understanding the writing situation. As illustrated below, any writing task involves three interrelated elements: the writer, the reader, and the message.
Message
- Carefully craft the message you want to send
Reader
- Readers bring their own experiences, knowledge, and even biases to their interpretations of your message
Writer
- Your credibility with readers has an impact on the effectiveness of your message
As the writer, your main task is to craft the message you want to send.
Additionally, you have a relationship with your readers. Concentrating on improving your credibility with your readers can improve the effectiveness of your message. If you build trust with your readers, they will be more inclined to let go of their own biases and assumptions.
Finally, your readers will form their own interpretations of the message. Consider the different perspectives, assumptions, and levels of knowledge your readers may have that can lead to different conclusions than you intend.
Tips for getting started:
- Decide on a venue for your message. Your planning will be most efficient if you know who you’re writing for and what the requirements are. Read the submission guidelines and use them to help determine how long and detailed your message needs to be.
- Define your audience. ASQ audiences range from quality beginners who need basic definitions and instructions, to practitioners who occasionally use quality tools to accomplish their primary job functions, to long-time quality experts interested in the latest advancements of quality knowledge. Make a list of specific audiences you want to reach. What do they already know about your topic? What do they need to know? How will they use the knowledge they gain from your content?
More planning tips: