Writing Strategies

People have different learning styles. Adding a visual aspect to a piece of writing can aid in comprehension. I am a visual learner and appreciate visuals in a book, article, etc. Technical communicators should strive for clarity, and way to achieve that is to add a visual aspect. This also relates to audience adaptation. Realizing that not all audience members will comprehend the message right away will help in creating a message that appeals to all types of people in the audience--visual learners or not.

The article by Ewing states that the communicator should adapt his or her message to the hostile audience the same way they would to an uncertain listener. "Follow the same approach if the reader disagrees with you at the outset . . . [it] suggests to an uncertain or hostile audience that you possess objectivity" (236). This may seem odd but both groups are not predisposed to the topic or message and therefore a higher level of persuasion is necessary. Both groups need to be convinced that the message you are conveying is the correct method or plan.

In Kolin's article Proposals, he states that the conclusion should "select the most important benefits and emphasize them again" (251). This is the last thought with which your reader leaves. Ewing's article mentions something similar, "put the recommendation, facts, or arguments you most want the reader to remember first or last" (236). Each piece of writing will create a first and last impression. The introduction needs to grab the reader's attention and the conclusion needs to be the aspect of the piece that the reader will walk away with.