Definition
In the communication process, the source of a written message — the person who encodes ideas into text with the intent of transferring meaning to a reader. In instructional contexts, the writer is one form of the communicator, alongside the speaker and the instructor.
Plain English
The person sending a message in written form. They are the starting point of written communication — they decide what to say and how to put it into words on the page.
Context Anchor
Seen in the Aviation Instructor’s Handbook when explaining how communication works between the person sending a message and the person receiving it.
Derivation
Writer comes from the Old English idea of making marks or forming letters. That origin helps here because a writer is not just thinking a message; the writer is turning it into written words for someone else to understand.
Why Pilots Care
Aviation instructors and pilots produce written material constantly — lesson plans, briefings, logbook entries, incident reports, training notes. Recognising yourself as the 'writer' in the communication model is a reminder that the burden of clarity sits with you, not the reader.
Intuition Check
Do not read writer as meaning only a professional author. In this context, a writer is anyone who sends a message in written form.
Example Sentence 1
As the writer of the lesson plan, the instructor chose plain language so the student could follow it without help.
Example Sentence 2
Before sending the report the writer reviews it for clarity and completeness.