Audience: When writing anything, the author needs to consider their audience. Whether that be academics, a general audience, an audience of peers. Planning for your audience is as important as considering the purpose of your writing. Planning for your audience means that you need to consider your subject, your vocabulary, the purpose of your writing.
For example, when the audience is your peers, likely your writing style does not need to be as formal as say, a body of your professors or superiors. But you will still need to be able to prove your point and do so in a timely manner. Last thing you want is to waste your audiences time. It is also true that when you are writing say, a work of fiction, likely a blend of complex and simple vocabulary will be needed. Stephen King once said that you should never look down on your audience or underestimate them. Most people will get the grasp of what you are trying to say when you use your own vocabulary or an advanced vocabulary. That said you also don’t want to use convoluted or overly complex words just to sound smart. A writer will hurt themselves more when they try to make themselves look smart. Try to use a good blend of advanced and personal vocabulary that would sound natural with your spoken vocabulary.
The best example of this I can give is if you would never use a word in your personal vocabulary or when you are trying to speak, then you do not want to use it in your essays or articles. There are exceptions to this but for most part, this is a golden rule. One more rule that one of professors told me personally is this: “when you are writing, do not use contracted words. Professors think it is lazy.” While it is true that most professors grade and take this into consideration differently, I agree that this is a good rule to follow, especially when you are not sure when you do not know your professor well.
Modern Renaissance Man 