Menu Close

English 222: Technical Writing — Guidelines: Writing for an Audience

Audience Issues

  • Skeptical/biased/requires proof
  • Biases aim at various special likes/dislikes—remain neutral if you can
  • Multiple criteria get used to evaluate
  • Organization helps everyone read
  • Missing information is a problem always

Writing Persuasively

  • Think the way others think
  • Key to persuading them
  • Anticipate counter arguments
  • Make problems seem to apply to wide groups
  • Make calculated guesses (estimate how much money to ask for)
  • You can’t please all audience members
  • You have to appeal to the majority