Writing skills are essential in many areas of human activity, such as interpersonal communication or seeking a job. Being an experienced and proficient writer opens many doors and helps with various issues. Therefore, evaluating writing skills can bring many benefits to people who seek to analyze their strengths and weaknesses and improve their writing. I have conducted an assessment of my own writing skills associated with various practices before sending important written messages. My score is 30 out of 40, which makes me a careful writer with many positive habits in writing preparation, yet there are some points that I could improve. My writing will become better after I work on the logical consistency of my messages, learn to envision people’s responses, and analyze how I can understand the wishes and needs of my potential audience.
The first step I will take to improve my writing preparation is working on the logical consistency of my messages. Jason Fried, Basecamp’s chief executive, believes that it is imperative to think thoroughly through a specific idea before presenting it in written form (Bryant, 2017). In other words, one has to have a clear image of the message they intend to send to the audience since it can be misperceived due to its illogicality. This issue can occur due to new thoughts appearing in the writing process, leading the writer away from their main idea. I will avoid any irrelevant points in my writing to ensure that my topics follow a strict logical order. In addition, I will double-check each of my written works before sending it to the audience to detect and eliminate possible logic issues. My first work that is entirely consistent in terms of logic and the order of thoughts and main points will be the benchmark for my progress.
Secondly, I will spend more time envisioning the responses of my audience. Many people find handling disagreement a crucial skill that can be helpful even in writing (Bryant, 2017). The goal does not matter whether I write a cover letter for a job application or a simple request to my old acquaintance. Predicting how people might react to one’s message can significantly enhance one’s writing skills and help them deliver a strong thought that is not quickly challenged. I can improve that area by putting myself in the respondent’s place before sending written messages. I can analyze my own work to detect different breaches that my audience may use to question or doubt my thoughts. I will see my progress in this field when I envision the audience response for my specific written work correctly.
The final area of my writing preparation that needs improvement is thinking about my audience’s wants and needs. Even being in a group, people remain individuals, and it is crucial to pay attention to each person’s feelings, wishes, and priorities (Bryant, 2017). Knowing people’s needs and desires can help a writer send a stronger message as they can use that knowledge to understand their audience and even influence them. To improve this area, I will take some time to analyze my audience and find ways to integrate my knowledge about their wishes and needs into my written work to make it more efficient. The benchmark for my progress in this area will be when I understand how I can change specific writing according to the individual qualities of its respondents.
Reference
Bryant, A. (2017). Jason Fried of Basecamp on the importance of writing skills. The New York Times. Web.