Writing with Purpose

If a professor, boss, or colleague were to approach you and ask you to write something, literally anything, how would you react? You wouldn’t know what to do. Immediately, an overwhelming amount of questions would fill your head. What is my purpose for writing? Who am I writing to? What medium am I writing in? Writing in general is an impossible task. No one can write without context, purpose, or a specific audience. Not to mention there are countless forms of writing. Each form requires a unique skill set. Whether it be creative writing, journalistic writing, or speech writing. The list is endless.

Writing is a vital part of our day-to-day life. This is because writing is a form of communication. The planet we inhabit could not function without communication. There are many situations in which you will need to write. Whether you’re taking a composition course to fulfill a degree requirement, or your boss orders you to write a report. Maybe you need to draft an important email to a potential employer. Or perhaps you’re writing a love letter. Whatever the case may be there will always be the need to write.

Look for Trouble

If people from all walks of life write, why do some feel the need to study writing? Simply put, to become a better writer and communicator. Just because most of the population writes in their day-to-day life does not automatically make them good writers. Writing effectively requires skill.

While there is no secret formula to the writing process, scholars like Catherine Savini have made it their duty to help those on their journey to becoming better writers. In her essay, Looking for Trouble: Finding Your Way into a Writing Assignment, Savini suggests that writers dissect their prompts. She refers to this process as “looking for trouble”. Savini breaks down “looking for trouble” into four steps. Noticing; articulating a problem and its details; posing fruitful questions; identifying what is at stake. The big takeaway from Savini’s article is to find a problem in every writing prompt. If there is no problem stated in the assignment it is your job to create a problem. As a writer, I am constantly looking for ways to better my craft. In the future, I will be looking for trouble and I encourage all writers to do the same.