You have probably done quite a bit of writing to make something happen in the world, though you might not have thought of it as official “writing.” Yet as this chapter shows, such writing is important to those who do it—and to those affected by it. Think about the groups you belong to—informal or formal, home- or community- or school-based—and choose a piece of writing you have done for the group, whether on your own or with others. Then take a careful look at it: Looking at it with a critical eye, is its purpose clear? What audience does it address, and how well does it connect to that audience? Are the genre (newsletter, poster, flyer, brochure, report, etc.) and the medium (print, electronic) appropriate to achieving the purpose and reaching the audience? How might you revise this text to make it even more effective?

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