Before you can begin to plan an essay, you need to think seriously about whom you are writing for, what your purpose is in addressing the audience, and what tone or attitude about your subject-serious, indignant, happy, tongue-in-cheek, conversational, or humorous-you want to convey. Once you have a general idea of each of these, you can begin to plan out how to organize and develop your paper.
Knowing your audience is necessary to keep your focus in writing. It helps your reader feel that the essay was meant specifically for him or her to read, and it gives you as the writer a sense of d…
