In “Writing Expresses and Shares Meaning to be Reconstructed by the reader” written by Charles Bazerman, he explains that writers can try to place meaning in our words but that can only go as far as the reader can see. They may write something that has meaning to them but may not be read by readers as it was meant by the writer. Certain words the writer uses may determine or help the reader understand better what the writer is trying to show the reader. Writers may decide not to allow certain writing to be read by others if they feel their meaning may be misconstrued or misunderstood. As writers, people must try to grow their knowledge and word base to better allow readers to comprehend the writings as they are meant to be in the thoughts of the writer. Meanwhile, as readers, people may look at different possible meanings behind what the writer is saying to determine they are reading as it was meant to be read.
After reading this article, I learned that what I say in my writing is not necessarily what my readers are reading. Careful word choice is a vital part of writing and should be thought about throughout the writing. As a reader, it is important to understand that how the writing sounds in my head is not necessarily how the writer meant for it to be. The first sentence, “The concept that writing expresses and shares meaning is fundamental to participating in writing-by writing we can articulate and communicate a thought, desire, emotion, observation, directive or state of affairs to ourselves and others through the medium of written words.”, says to me that I need to be careful and diligent in my word choice to convey the message as exactly as possible to what I am trying to say.
As you are writing a piece, go back frequently and read it to yourself. Many times we may find that the wording we used seems to convey a message we are not trying to convey. If possible, giving specific examples may help to get your point across to the reader in the way you intend to. We as writers have something to say to our readers and saying it in the wrong way can completely change the context. A change in tone could make your writing more enjoyable for your reader as well as making the writing easier for them to comprehend.
