The Steve Laube Agency

Many writers assume persuasion begins the moment their argument appears on the page. However, it begins much earlier, in how the writer understands the truth they are trying to convey. When writing is treated as a way of proving a point, the tone tends to harden and the sentences become more authoritative, which can create a subtle resistance in the reader. However, when writing is treated as a way of revealing something worth reading, the tone broadens, and the argument unfolds in a way that invites attention instead of demanding it.

This distinction explains why two writers can come to the same subject and produce entirely different results. One creates conflict while the other creates dialogue. A writer must first take the time to wrestle with and understand a topic to determine what needs to be said, and then begin to write. This internal foundation is the sort of writing Scripture commends when it describes words that are “gracious, seasoned with salt” (Colossians 4:6).

Rhetoric, the art of speaking or writing effectively, presents an idea so it can be seen clearly and followed without being vague. Effective persuasion depends on a reader’s implicit trust in the writer and that author’s clear and unfettered language. When the writer sounds credible, the argument develops naturally, and the words flow freely.