In other words, I need clarity. That’s really what context is. Here’s how I view context as a writer — and also through the lens as a reader.

I have taught writing students how to apply context in their writing work. For the elementary school students I worked with, I would tell them to give me the main idea of a short story or book we happened to be reading. To get to the point of establishing the main idea, it’s important to be aware of the story’s time and place — the setting. Where is this happening and why? Next, who is it happening to and why? What makes the characters think, act or feel the way the do? What happened to drive the thinking and behavior? I apply this thinking to the pieces I produce.

There is nothing worse than reading an article that leaves you wondering what the heck the author was trying to say. Social media is full of content that lacks the context component. Much of the time that’s intentional to influence your thinking and generate likes, shares, retweets, etc.

I have been a content producer for years. I can easily identify gaps that would prompt me to dig a little deeper for more information. I hope I have helped you to do the same.

A very wise writing coach challenged me to think like a reader. When I sit down to write a piece, I still hear her voice asking me, “would you read this?” If that answer is no, I have some work to do to make the message clearer to readers. It’s what I strive to do each time I produce content.