What are the distinctions between professional, social, and personal writing? Do you have a different approach for each? Do you see yourself as strong in one or two areas but needing work in another?

Professional writing can be defined as business writing, media writing, and writing that takes place in or for the workplace. Personal writing is considered writing for any other purpose oriented toward the individual writer's needs. Advice available on writing dissects the writer's capabilities to put words out effectively styled for clarity through such items as vocabulary choices and tone of voice, but style issues do not separate professional writing from personal writing. Professional writing and personal writing differs in intention, composition, and exposition.

The intention of professional writing is to reach a section of the population with information, narrative, or commentary. In contrast, personal writing may be created for many reasons, some of which include: notes on the subject matter, self-expression, communication, and organization. The difference between the intention of professional writing and personal writing is that professional writing is done for a public audience, and personal writing can be defined as a written expression intended for private use, even though private writing is at times made public. The original intention of professional writing is not private.