In-class Essay 2

The majority of the writing that I have done has either been assigned or required for me to do. In ways that idea is similar to professional writers and in ways this is dissimilar to the work that they do.

Professional writers are in essence required to write just as I am. They are paid to produce interesting and broadly readable articles, books, etc. Although unlike myself they have chosen this career path for themselves. Naturally, those who would have chosen writing as their career would have a talent and interest in writing.

The writing required of many students including myself is usually a narrow based, almost rhetorical style of paper. Generally these papers are produced with some sort of a prompt or template given by an instructor. The point is that typically the authors of these kinds of papers are given little encouragement to deviate from their assignment.

Professional writing utilizes much more of an author's personal opinion about a particular topic that he or she is writing about. Given, many times a publisher or editor would require the author to follow a general topic or theme.

The barriers between proffesional writing and individual writing exist in the viewership of each medium. Professional writing is usually printed in large publications or in some other way distributed to an enormous audience. Individual writing has only recently gained a lareger viewership.

I wouldn't say that the average individual is losing power in the world of public discourse, but I would definitely not say they are gaining on the professional writing world. Although many blog-esque forms of writing are becoming more and more prevelent on the internet, professional writers are more common as well. Newspaper sales may be down, but at least that many people are obtaining news from a professional online source.