Crafting Writing That Drives Change Larry McEnerney's insights on good writing

Conventional writing wisdom is often misguided. Larry McEnerney, the retired director of the University of Chicago’s Writing Program, challenges outdated conceptions of good writing that can stifle bloggers and academic writers alike. His unconventional insights provide the key to engaging readers, making a compelling case, and achieving real impact through the written word.

Larry McEnerney’s Perspective

In Larry McEnerney’s view, we need to approach writing differently in academic and professional settings. In academia, we write to demonstrate our mastery of a subject to our teachers, exhibiting our knowledge and understanding of concepts and adhering to academic conventions. Our goal is typically to earn a grade.

However, this approach doesn’t prepare us for writing in real-world contexts, where our primary purpose is to influence action or thought. In these situations, we write to persuade others to adopt new perspectives, make decisions, or take specific actions. We need to understand our audience, craft compelling arguments, and employ persuasive techniques to be effective.

We must adapt our approach based on our objectives and audience. While our academic writing skills provide a foundation, professional writing demands that we engage and influence others by understanding their values, concerns, and motivations. We must anticipate objections, address concerns, and present ideas convincingly.

Larry emphasizes the need to recognize writing as a dynamic, purpose-driven activity. As we transition from academia to professional environments, we need to shift our mindset from writing to demonstrate knowledge to writing to effect change. This requires us to adapt the content and structure of our writing and understand our role as writers and agents of engagement and influence.

Key Points

Here are some key points that summarize Larry’s thinking about good writing:

Writing is about the reader, not the writer. Good writing isn’t about expressing yourself but rather about affecting the reader. The writer needs to understand their audience deeply.

If you do not know your readers, the particular people in a community, if you do not know these people, you are very unlikely to create value and you are very unlikely to be persuasive because persuasion depends on what they doubt.

If you don't know what they doubt, how on earth you're gonna overcome those doubts?

You must know them.

Credit: Larry McEnerney

Good writing creates value for the reader. Writing should teach the reader something new, change their perspective, or help them decide. The reader’s time and attention are limited resources that the writer should use wisely.

Clarity alone is not enough. Even technically, “clear” writing can fail if it doesn’t frame things meaningfully and compellingly for the reader. The writer needs to understand the reader’s preexisting knowledge, interests, and values.

Good writing joins a conversation the reader cares about. Influential writers orient their work within the ongoing discussions and debates that engage their audience. New claims are grounded in what the reader already knows and cares about.

The function of your writing is to move a conversation forward.

Credit: Larry McEnerney

Effective revision requires feedback. Good writers seek input from readers similar to their target audience. This external perspective helps the writer gauge whether their work will have the intended effect.

Good writing often challenges existing knowledge and offers new insights. Writers should not be afraid to question established beliefs and propose novel ideas as long as they can support their claims with sound reasoning and evidence.

Lectures

As we move forward, embracing a reader-centric approach to writing is critical to effective communication. We can engage, influence, and inspire action by deeply understanding our audience and crafting purposeful content. Mastering these skills will enable us to drive meaningful change through the power of the written word.

Resources

• The Problem of the Problem by Larry McEnerney (accompanying handout for “The Craft of Writing Effectively”)

POST NAVIGATION

CHAPTER NAVIGATION

SEARCH