Writing is a tool of communication and art, in which
language and ideas are carefully put together to deliver a message in a
relatively permanent form. Writing can be used for personal enjoyment or to
deliver a message to an audience. Generally, the audience is either specific or
unknown. For example, writing an e-mail to a co-worker is a specific/target
audience while posting on a blog is an unknown audience. Writing is useful in
helping bridge the gap between communication and interpersonal relationships. A
great example of this relationship as discussed in class and by Andrea Lunsford,
is between writer, audience, and message. This relationship can be seen clearly
in the rhetorical triangle.
Some key terms
that I associate with the definition of writing are:
Audience—The
who is just as important as the what when writing. The message being delivered
can be conveyed in a multitude of ways depending on who is receiving the message.
Planning—Planning
is a crucial part of writing. Planning helps with multiple aspects of writing
but it mainly deals with maintaining structure and organization. Arrangement
could also fall under the term of planning because the writer decides where to
place certain details.
Perspective—In
writing, perspective is a key component. The position or angle something is
written in gives insight to different opinions and points of view around ideas
and events presented in a text.
Materiality—The
subject matter and form in which it is being presented are important in
writing. This also helps guide the kind of language being used when writing.
Certain writing styles and language will deliver messages in different ways. The
tone of the subject will also play a role in the delivery of the writing.
Focus—In
writing, staying focused throughout a piece is helps deliver the message
effectively and emphasizes its importance. Establishing a focus helps the
reader understand the significance of the writing.
All in all,
writing is a vital form of communication. In writing, there are a multitude of
functions that help deliver messages to small and large audiences, sometimes specific
and sometimes unknown. Writing is important because it helps us develop and
work through ideas.
While comparing my map to the processes of Rose, Lunsford, and Shipka I noticed that their processes while fairly similar focus on different aspects. My map included many of the different aspects they have when composing works and about rhetorical situations. Rose’s notion of the where its made, what it is, how it travels, and who it reaches is similar to the traditional sender, message, channel, receiver model of communication. In making my map I did not account for all of these and I think they play a vital role. When placing my map under revision, I would add channel as a key term and take into account what Lunsford says about the digital age and audiences.
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