Tasks with Writing
There are some basic rules about performing the process of writing that a legal
writer needs to observe.
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These mainly involve using time in an effective way.
Discussion of this has two parts:
(1)
It states the fundamental truths which underlie effective writing.
(2)
It states rules for effective writing, which are derived from these
fundamental truths.
Reading
Introduction
Discussion of reading is significant for a simple reason – an author writes a
text so that others can read it. The function of a text is to inform “the whole
assembly of potential readers” of whatever message the writer wishes to
convey.
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Therefore it is important for a writer to be conscious of the needs
and capabilities of their likely readers.
Porers and Delvers
A reader may have either or both of two purposes for reading a text. They
may want to pore over the whole text and read it intently (these are called
porers) or they may want to delve into the text for specific pieces of
information (these are called delvers). Thus, regardless of their other purpose,
a reader may be a porer, a delver or a bit of each.
Porer
A porer reads the text. They read it from cover to cover, or they read whole
chunks of it. For example, in a textbook on torts they read the whole of the
chapter that deals with a specific tort. In a judgment they read the whole
judgment or the part of the judgment that
deals with a specific point. This is
the obvious way of retrieving information from a text. Many readers will use a
text in this way, starting at the beginning of the text, or the beginning of a
section, and working their way through.
Delver
A delver uses a text to find (or to delve for) specific information. To do this,
they need to find and consult the specific part of the text that delivers this
information. The point is that they use the text to obtain this specific
information. For example, they may wish to find the date of a person’s birth or
death, or in a law text, the name or date of commencement of a statute.
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Chapter 7 Tasks with Writing
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Sheller (1996) p 3
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