Writing is rational and responsive, these characteristics of writing are known as the rhetorical triangle. This has each of its points as a key element. Those could include the writer, audience, or text. The audience for a speech is present, while readers are absent. Writers need to fictionalize their audience and audiences need to fictionalize themselves to adopt the role set out by the writer. The digital age has brought a closer need for consideration of audiences. Writing cannot only address but also create audiences. Writers who have “gone viral” know what it means to create an audience that has been unintended and unimagined. More importantly, digital literacies have blurred the boundaries between a writer and its audience. Shifting and expanding understandings of an audience raises new questions that engage students in exploring their own roles as ethical and effective readers.
No, past writing experiences have not informed me about writing to an audience. I have always just assumed that I was writing to my teacher. Knowing that my audience was my teacher while writing was useful because I knew that I had to be able to connect with my teacher and explain my ideas in a way that maybe classmates would not understand. I learned about writing to an audience after reading this article that you have to explain enough for the audience to understand, but also leave some room for imagination. Understanding your audience will raise questions that engage others.
