Do You Think About Your Responsibility as a Writer?

It dawned on me today that all of the words that I write will be read. Now this may sound like an obvious statement, but sometimes I get so focused on the writing that I forget about what happens after I have submitted my work.  I lose track of the idea that there are readers out there who might find my articles when looking for answers or inspiration.  My focus is often on writing for a client or a company, and while I always keep the intended target audience in mind, they are often a detached, impersonal idea in my mind, rather than real, living people.

The goal of writing is to be read, and it is important for writers, bloggers and authors to understand that as well as having responsibility to their client (whether they are a magazine, a company or a website) they have a responsibility to all of the people who will read their work.  How will your words help, inspire, encourage or educate your readers?

There has been heated debate in recent years about the decline in quality of writing,  as well as a lack of accountability of writers.  After all, anyone can start a blog and post away without any regard for accurate facts, honest information or unbiased opinion.  This, sadly, is one of the biggest downsides to the open door policy of the Internet.  There is no quality control.  It falls on our own conscience for us to be as responsible as possible with our writing.

Along with this responsibility to uphold a basic standard comes the freedom to use our words to positively influence people.