Journal 1

According to Miriam-Webster, writing is “1. The activity or work of writing books, poems, stories, etc.
 2. The way that you use written words to express your ideas or opinions.” What does writing do? The answer to this question is incredibly subjective. Writing has infinite meaning and even greater purpose in this world. It’s difficult to define a concrete function for the word, because writing really has endless different functions.

Some people write to share knowledge with others, or to teach, or to offer their opinions and perspectives and request those of others. Some write for themselves, to help make sense of their worldly experiences. Others write to convey their experiences and the emotions that accompany them. Governments write laws and constitutions to give society structure and purpose. And mostly, I think people write to seek connection—to bond with loved ones, to realize shared experiences, to find empathy.

Key Terms:

• Expression: Writing is used to express something, whether that something be a feeling, an opinion, an experience, et cetera. Whatever point a writer seeks to get across to their audience, they use writing to do so
• Medium: With new technology comes new ways to communicate a message. Novels, poems, e-mails, blogs, essays, billboards, newspaper advertisements are all examples of different types of mediums a writer can use to express what they seek to communicate
• Purpose: There are four main types of writing and each type has a different purpose. Narrative writing is writing that tells a story. Expository writing is used to explain something objectively. Descriptive writing focuses on describing something such as an event, a place, or a character. Persuasive writing is used to influence its audience toward a certain opinion
• Audience: With so many writing mediums and platforms to choose from, writers have many different options to get a message across to their intended audience. For example, an article that is poorly received on Fox News might be better received on CNN
• Perspective: Writers must consider the perspective, or bias, their audiences have pre-writing. They also must consider how words can be perceived differently depending on these biases. The way a message is perceived through one medium may be different than how it is perceived through another