Can I say something?

Grammar, ideas, creativity and imagination are one of those things we need when writing. Writing is something I like to do to clear my head when it is just bursting with thoughts. It is also a way to help me learn things quickly and express myself better. I get to explore different genres, interesting topics or even learn new styles of writing. Writing poems, song lyrics and specific general topics are what I usually do. Op-eds writing is out of my norm. I have done many readings to help me fully understand it and to give me ideas on how to create one.

There are requirements in writing op-eds. It consists of 500-800 words responding to a rhetorical situation. Persuasive writing in op-eds is one of its important elements. According to the website of Aims Community College, The writing process: Determining Audience, if you are arguing for a change to occur, identifying the level at which you want this change to occur and/or people you want to persuade to help create this change (audience) is important. To build its credibility to audiences, the effective use of rhetorical appeals are very important. Effective uses of logos, ethos and pathos are key to building an op-eds' credibility. Having a strong argument and having consistency is very important. As a reader, not all may be appealing. Many factors may contribute as to why it seem to appeal to a specific audience but not to others. Knowing your audience is key to determine how well it will impact the reader.

I can probably compare writing with composing a song. Not all listeners will be a fan of a specific song. Composers write a songs based on their experiences where in some audience may or may not relate with. The genre of a song appeals to a specific audience but not all. For example, many but not all adults are a fan and impressed with today's hip-hop and rap music because of the profound languages being used in the song's lyrics meanwhile, majority of their listeners are as young as elementary kids, teenagers and young adults. They listens to this specific genre because of how it is composed; the up-beat rhythm, catchy words (relatable), within their age group, (sometimes) gender related and experience related, the artist itself and an eye catching title. 

Going back to writing...

But before anything, let's define what an audience is.

According to literarydevices.net, Definition and examples of literary devices: Audience, an audience is defined as the person or a group of people for whom a writer writes or composer composes.

Now, let's break it down and put it in an audience's perspective.

Before writing an op-ed for a current issue, keep in mind that the audience assumptions are already set with regards to the issue being discussed. In short, they already have their own opinion and a view points. The reader's beliefs or values may differ from the writer. One may agree or disagree about the side of the writer. Some audience have a different perspective towards what is being written. Their different expertise and interests may also be a factor in terms of having an op-ed be appealing to an audience.

For example, one cannot write something about politics and what they implement and have kindergarten students as the target audience (and yes, of course I'm only exaggerating). The language or the wording used may affect how appealing it could be.

Lastly, some other factors of how well the op-ed is written may affect its audience. When an op-ed has its target audience, some audience may not relate to what is being written. Consider the sex, gender, age, race, geographic, social status, occupation and more. Being able to support and provide credible evidences help grasp an audience's attention and more so their interest. Setting the mood, tone, selecting your own writing style and language to be used sets the reader's interest. In this way, it will be more eye catching, appealing and the audience may actually be more engaged in the said editorial.