Understanding Writing and Audience

The video discusses the role of a writer in making subjects interesting without pushing an agenda. It emphasizes understanding the audience, often someone educated but from a different discipline, and writing in a way that respects their intelligence while introducing new ideas. The speaker shares experiences writing for publications like the New York Review of Books and the New Yorker, highlighting the challenge of identifying the actual audience, which could range from retired teachers to graduate students.

What is the main job of a writer according to the speaker?

• To focus on personal interests only

• To persuade people of a specific viewpoint

• To write as much as possible

• To make the subject interesting to others

What is the speaker's main concern when writing?

• To entertain the audience

• To help the audience think about a topic

• To focus on controversial topics

• To write as quickly as possible

How does the speaker suggest thinking about your audience?

• As someone who is not interested in the subject

• As someone like yourself but in a different field

• As someone who is completely unfamiliar with the subject

• As someone who knows everything about the subject

Who does the speaker imagine as their audience when writing?

• A professional writer

• A biologist or professor of biology

• A graduate student

• A retired high school teacher

When writing about T.S. Eliot, what does the speaker assume about their audience?

• They might have some basic knowledge of T.S. Eliot

• They have never heard of T.S. Eliot

• They are experts in T.S. Eliot's work

• They are not interested in literature

What is the speaker's approach to writing about subjects like T.S. Eliot?

• Focusing only on the literary aspects

• Writing in a way that is accessible to educated but unfamiliar readers

• Assuming the audience knows everything

• Using complex language to impress the audience

What is the challenge of writing for publications like the New Yorker?

• Writing for a very specific audience

• Addressing a diverse and unknown audience

• Focusing only on literary topics

• Writing in a very formal style

What kind of writing does the speaker do for the New York Review of Books?

• Fiction writing

• Technical writing

• Writing that focuses on personal experiences

• Writing that addresses a broad audience

What does the speaker find difficult about knowing their audience?

• The audience is not interested in the subject

• The audience could be very diverse

• The audience is always experts

• The audience is always the same