Learn how to identify and understand why authors write. Discover what it means when we say, "An author’s purpose is his or her for writing."

Understanding the Heart of Every Story: An Author’s Purpose Is His or Her for Writing

Let’s take a second to peel back the curtain behind every story, article, poem, essay, or novel you’ve ever read. Behind the metaphors, the dialogue, the plot twists — there’s always a reason. A motive. A driving force that sparked the writing in the first place.

That’s what we mean when we say: An author’s purpose is his or her for writing. It’s not just a literary term teachers toss around. It’s the anchor of every written piece, the “why” behind the words.

Let’s dive in.

What Does “An Author’s Purpose Is His or Her for Writing” Actually Mean?

Let’s break it down. When we say "an author’s purpose is his or her for writing", we’re asking: What was the writer trying to do with this piece?

Were they trying to inform you, like a science textbook?

Were they trying to persuade you, like a political article or a heartfelt op-ed?

Were they simply trying to entertain you, like a fantasy novel or a comedy sketch?

That sentence — an author’s purpose is his or her for writing — is another way of saying: “There’s a goal behind every paragraph, and it’s your job to figure it out.”

The Big Three: Inform, Persuade, Entertain

While an author’s purpose can vary wildly depending on the content, it generally falls into one of three major categories. Yep, it’s the classic trio you may have heard before: to inform, to persuade, or to entertain.

Let’s break those down — and show how an author’s purpose is his or her for writing in each case.

1. To Inform

Think news articles, encyclopedias, essays, instruction manuals, and non-fiction books.

If you’re reading something that’s laying out facts, explaining processes, or delivering data,  guess what? The author’s trying to educate you.

In this case, an author’s purpose is his or her for writing because they want you to walk away smarter than when you started.

Examples:

• A New York Times article about climate change.
• A how-to guide on baking banana bread.
• A Wikipedia page on the Great Wall of China.

2. To Persuade

Think opinion pieces, advertisements, political speeches, and product reviews.

When persuasion is the goal, the author wants you to feel something or do something, maybe change your mind, make a decision, or take action.

Here, again, an author’s purpose is his or her for writing because they want to move you from point A to point B, emotionally or logically.

Examples:

• A blog post urging you to adopt a plant-based diet.
• A commercial convincing you that you need a new phone.
• A letter to the editor supporting a local initiative.

3. To Entertain

Think novels, poems, scripts, and memoirs.

This one’s a bit more relaxed. Sometimes, the author simply wants you to enjoy yourself. The goal? A smile. A tear. A moment of escape.

And yes, in these cases too, an author’s purpose is his or her for writing — just not to convince or educate, but to spark imagination or emotion.

Examples:

• A mystery novel that keeps you guessing.
• A stand-up comedy bit.
• A short story that leaves you in awe.

How to Identify an Author’s Purpose (Like a Pro)

It might seem tricky at first, but there are ways to tell what the author was going for. Just keep asking yourself: “What is this trying to do to me as a reader?”

Clues include:

1. Tone: Is it serious, playful, emotional?
2. Word choice: Are there strong emotional words or lots of facts and statistics?
3. Structure: Is it organized like a story, a list of facts, or a persuasive argument?

Remember, an author’s purpose is his or her for writing, and that purpose tends to shape everything else — from the structure to the sentence length to the visuals.

Why It Matters to Know the Purpose

Okay, so why should you care?

Because when you know the purpose, you unlock the power to read more critically. You start asking deeper questions like:

1. Is this information biased?
2. Am I being manipulated?
3. Is this story trying to teach me something deeper?

Understanding that an author’s purpose is his or her for writing helps you separate fact from fiction, persuasion from manipulation, and entertainment from mere distraction.

It’s the difference between reading passively and reading actively.

What About Mixed Purposes?

Real life isn’t always clean-cut. Sometimes, authors have more than one purpose. A single blog post might aim to inform and entertain. A personal essay might be persuasive but also deeply emotional.

In these cases, the question "an author’s purpose is his or her for writing" becomes less about boxing the piece into one category and more about exploring which purpose is dominant.

Is it trying harder to make you laugh or to teach you something?

Is it more about your emotions or your decisions?

If you're not sure, look for what the writer emphasizes most.

In the Classroom: This Phrase Is a Lifeline

If you’re a student — or if you're helping one — you’ve probably been asked to analyze a text. That dreaded question shows up: “What is the author’s purpose?”

And while you might roll your eyes at it, the phrase “an author’s purpose is his or her for writing” actually gives you a formula for answering.

Try this approach:

“An author’s purpose is his or her for writing this [text/poem/article] because they wanted to [inform/persuade/entertain] the reader by [insert how they did it here].”

Simple. Repeatable. Teacher-approved.

Conclusion 

Words don’t just appear on a page for no reason. Every sentence, every paragraph, every punchline and plot twist is the result of someone’s purpose. That’s why we say: An author’s purpose is his or her for writing.

Once you start reading with that idea in mind, everything changes. You start seeing the intention behind the information. The persuasion behind the polish. The entertainment behind the exaggeration.

So next time you crack open a book or scroll through an article, stop and ask yourself:

What’s the goal here?

What is this writer really trying to do?

Because once you know that, you’ve unlocked one of the biggest secrets in reading — and writing.