John Hewitt’s Writing Tips: Exigence

Lloyd F. Bitzer in his essay, The Rhetorical Situation, writes that “exigence is an imperfection marked by urgency; it is a defect, an obstacle, something waiting to be done, a thing which is other than it should be.” Exigence is one of the crucial elements of writing. No matter what you write, an essay, a poem, a story, a screenplay, you should keep in mind what needs or gaps your work addresses.

Yes, you can write just because you want to write, but if you want anyone to read it, you must consider what need of theirs your work can fill. Why should someone else take the time to read (or watch) what you written? When you have a clear idea of why you are writing it gives you a greater ability to focus on what you are writing.

Exigence is at the root of audience analysis, but it takes place at a more basic level. Is your goal to entertain? Is your goal to enlighten? If someone picks up your work and reads it from beginning to end, how will it have benefited them? Will they have considered their time well spent or a waste? What do you want them to think about once they have finished reading?

These are key questions that you should ask yourself when you are starting a new work. If you can’t satisfactorily answer the question of why you are writing it, then you can’t give your audience a good reason why they should read it.

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