Feedback Sessions
We had five submissions to review. We discussed three of the submissions and will dialogue about the other two at the next meeting. The first two talked about were both by Richard — Coward and Bonamoki. Coward was a short piece packed with drama and tragedy as it told the story about the emotional journey of Raul. The emotional ride kept everyone engaged. Due to it’s short length, meaning through spare use of words was important to the telling. The group shared questions about author decisions about descriptions and omissions for such a compact story.
Point of view was another area of conversation. Participants wondered how readers would react to the story if it were told in first person instead of third person. Would the emotional charge be stronger? As always, it’s the author’s decision as to what to experiment and explore with their writing.
Bonamoki is a longer piece that tells the story of Joe, an older man who recently retired, or perhaps semi-retired. He reminisces about his life, both past and present touched several topics about life that people of different generations could relate to and think about from where they stand. Some topics included one’s inherent value once retired with much work experience, value of one’s time, and engaging with grand children. Richard takes an interesting approach of telling the story through Joe’s reflections about his life, it’s meaning, and purpose.
The next draft came from John, who wrote an article, PfISD Esports Program Promotes Student Engagement and Career Skills. The article was for educators and their local community to explore the benefits of esports for students. PfISD is a school district in Austin, Texas that John worked with, and wanted to highlight what they were doing. The group thought that it met it’s intended audience. However, there were several areas for opportunities to expand on the ideas. For example, the original document included a bulleted list of beneifts:
- Social Connections
- Club and Team Leadership
- Casual Competitions through Intramurals
- Serious Competitive Play between Schools
- Early Marketing and Production Experiences
The group asked for more information about how these points connected with the article focus. Based on their feedback, John added more explanation for each in the final article version.
The blog post is now live on his website and via LinkedIn.
Takeaways
Meaning takes on many different styles and structures. While details are important for fleshing out a piece, word choice and point of view amplify meaning. Having a target audience in mind effects our choice of phrasing, examples, statements, and from what point of view. The three pieces were each different in style and application of these ideas. All succeeded with their intension. Being mindful of the shape and use of words and phrased based on point of view is important to consider in any form of written, recorded, or verbal communication.
Invitation to Write
For the next meeting, each person will bring at least one page of writing on any topic or genre that they choose. Perhaps consider your audience when you write to make you’re own meaning.
Next Meeting Information:
June 4, 2025
Barnes and Noble in Livonia, MI (map)
17111 Haggerty Rd., Northville, MI 48168
