Writing for others

If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot. There's no way around these two things that I am aware of, no shortcut.

Stephen King - On Writing

Demonstrating communication skills through writing

Writing for others will require you to consider writing as an important communication skill. When you are writing for yourself, you may have more flexibility in what form(s) writing takes, its tone and choice of language. 

Writing for others will involve considering your reader and the purpose of the piece of writing so that you clearly communicate your intended evidence, ideas and argument to the reader.

What's a good writer?

The videos emphasise points that staff often make to students about their writing:

• Try to write in a clear and straightforward way. Shorter sentences and simple language often work best - don't think you have to produce the kind of dense, complicated writing you might meet in some academic articles. Don't use complex language and jargon just for the sake of it.
• Think about how you group, order and link your ideas to build up a clear structure or argument.
• Remember Stephen King's advice when you read other people's writing. You can learn a lot about writing by asking yourself in what ways it does or doesn't work for you.