Craig Biddle on "The Principle of Purpose in Nonfiction Writing"
Although not explicitly discussed in books or courses on writing, the principle of purpose properly dictates every aspect of the writing process. To write clearly, concisely, and convincingly, one must know, at every stage, what one is trying to accomplish and how it relates to the other parts of the broader project. From creating a laundry list of ideas to selecting a theme to writing an outline to concretizing an abstraction to structuring a paragraph to punctuating a sentence to editing a draft--the answer to the question "What is my purpose here?" properly determines how to proceed. Craig Biddle will discuss the omnipresence of this principle in regard to nonfiction writing and explain how understanding and applying it clarifies and simplifies the writing process. Whether you write or want to write articles, op-eds, letters to the editor, business letters, book or movie reviews, presentations, speeches, blog posts, or books--this discussion will help you either to improve your existing skills or to get started on the right track.
Craig Biddle is the editor and publisher of The Objective Standard and the author of Loving Life: The Morality of Self-Interest and the Facts that Support It. He is currently writing a book on the principles of rational thinking and the fallacies that are violations of those principles. In addition to writing, he lectures and teaches workshops on ethical and epistemological issues from an Objectivist perspective.