Thoughts From My Reading

I have been reading "Mindful Writing" by Brian Jackson, and have found it very interesting. In this book he takes us step by step through ways we can become a more effective writer and speaker. One of the parts I found most interesting was when he described the aspects of a rhetorical situation.

 There are 6 ideas to a rhetorical situation, and most of us go through all of these stages without thinking. The first aspect is exigence which is basically the invitation to speak because speaking might solve a problem. The second element is kairos. which is about figuring out the opportune time to speak or to act. Kairos is a big part of historical changes such as the Civil Rights movement. MLK acted when he could sense everyone was fed up and ready to rise up. Third is the rhetor which is the speaker or writer. The rhetor has to analyze the exigence that comes onto him or her and decide, based off of the audience and the overall atmosphere, what to do or say. Fourth is the purpose. The rhetor has a purpose of what they intend to do. Sometimes it is hard for the rhetor to convey his or her purpose because the exigence does not allow it, or the kairos is not right. It is up to the writer to decide on the spot, which is part of being a good rhetorical thinker. The fifth element is genre. The genre is the tools the rhetor uses and the words he says that apply only to that current situation. Genre goes hand in hand with pathos because it is all about the way in which you try and achieve your purpose most effectively. The final aspect is the most important, and that is the audience. These are the people that can be influenced by what you say and have an impact on change if your purpose is to change something. If you understand your audience then you will know best how to appeal to them and sway them. Then you will have power in the words you say!

The reason I found this information so interesting is because we do all of this multiple times a day! Anytime we speak, even just to our friends, we are taking into account exigence, kairos, purpose, genre, and of course our audience. I think that when we write, if we're consciously thinking about these aspects, then our writing will not only be more engaging, but more effective!