In this article written by Charles Bazerman, he explains that by writing, we can communicate through a medium of written words. The expression of writing makes them clearer to the readers, where they can attempt to make sense of the words the writer has written. He also states that while writers can maintain a consistent state of mind, the readers cannot read the mind of the writer. Meanings do not reside fully in the words of the text, but in the minds of the reader and the writer. Meanings from writers arise from thought, while meanings from readers arise from objects, experiences, etc.. Children grasp that as they are writing they can learn to share their experiences. As their writing develops, their meanings grow a wider range of experiences, which in turn create a wider audience of readers. It can be troublesome for the reader because of the tension between expression and meaning. Readers view expressions as personal, and we are not sure how others will respond to that, creating anxiety and hesitation to share. Meaning is not transparently available, and as writers we need to work on words that share expressions of meaning.
A personal experience I have had with something I have wrote that did not have the intended effect was an essay I have wrote in High School. I intended to appeal to the audiences emotion, and it came off as more factual than personal. I was hesitant to come off more personal, because I was unsure how others would have reacted. I realized that I needed to change the tone and wording and get more personal to appeal to the audience I was writing for. Sometimes meanings are not just given to you as a reader, so you reconstruct ideas. It is important to work on sharing expressions and words that make it so the readers are getting what you intended them to get.
