A practicum was developed to determine whether the motivation of a private school's ninth grade English class (18 students) could be increased by gearing the course toward a specified, authentic public audience and whether an increase in motivation would positively affect the quality of and attitude toward writing assignments and the use of critical analysis. A program was developed which incorporated audience-based strategies into the current writing curriculum. After completing a pre-project attitude questionnaire, students completed four writing assignments and responded to an attitude questionnaire upon the completion of each assignment. The students also completed a post-project attitude questionnaire which was used to determine any improvement in students' attitude toward the importance and relevance of writing well. The writing assignments included an editorial project, a short story unit, composing business letters, and writing anecdotes. Results of the program showed a positive correlation between audience specification and motivation. Knowing their audience helped motivate students to write more effectively and to analyze and revise their writing more frequently. (Appendixes include a pre- and post-project attitude questionnaire, attitude questionnaires for each of the four projects, and a teacher evaluation checklist. Thirteen references are attached.) (Author/MG)