Purposes for writing

Getting a good grade, making a million dollars, or contributing to society may be among your reasons or motives for writing. However, as a writer, you also have more specific purposes for writing to help you make key decisions about content, structure, or style.

When your main purpose is to express your feelings, you may write a private entry in your journal. When your main purpose is to explain how your sales promotion increased the number of your company's customers, you may write a factual report to your boss. When your main purpose is to persuade others to see a movie you like, you may write a review for the local newspaper. In each case, the intended use or impact of what you write helps determine what you write and how you write it.