January 20th, 2024

                                    NOT JUST YOU - BUT THE READER TOO

 WRITING IS A PROFESSION THAT, AT FIRST, APPEARS SELF-SERVING. THE WRITER WRITES WHAT IS ON THEIR MIND. WHAT THEY WANT TO WRITE ABOUT, AND ONLY WHAT THEY THINK IS WORTH WRITING... WELL, IS THAT THE TRUTH? 
 NOT REALLY, A WRITER IS NOTHING WITHOUT A READER. A READER WHO IS INTERESTED IN WHAT THE WRITER IS SHARING AND THE WAY IT IS SHARED. SO, IN OTHER WORDS, A WRITER IS NOTHING WITHOUT THE READER BEING KEPT IN MIND ALONG THE WHOLE PATH OF CREATIVITY.
 A WRITER IS FAR FROM SELF-SERVING. A WRITER IS ACTUALLY THERE TO SERVE THE READER BY GUIDING THE READER'S THOUGHTS AND IMAGINATION. TARGETING A FOCUSED IDEA (THE WRITERS) THAT WILL HELP TEACH, GUIDE, AND OPEN THE READER'S MIND.
 THE WRITER MUST THINK ABOUT WHAT THEY WANT TO SHARE, BUT THEY SHOULD ALSO ASK THEMSELVES, “WHY?”
 BEFORE I WRITE AN ARTICLE OR A BOOK, I ALWAYS ASK MYSELF WHAT IS THE POINT? WHO WOULD WANT TO READ THIS? WHY WOULD THEY WANT TO READ THIS? WILL IT TEACH, SHARE, OR GUIDE THE READER TO A DIFFERENT PLACE OR UNDERSTANDING?
 A WRITER AND A READER SHOULD BE PARTNERS IN EVERY WRITTEN ADVENTURE. WHAT WORTH IS THERE TO THE WRITTEN WORD IF IT ISN’T READ? WHAT WORTH IS THE WRITTEN WORD (UNLESS IT IS THERAPY) IF NO ONE CARES WHAT YOU WRITE?
 WRITERS NEED READERS AS MUCH AS READERS NEED WRITERS. WRITERS NEED TO UNDERSTAND THEIR AUDIENCE. WHO THEY ARE. WHAT THEY ARE LOOKING FOR. WHAT ARE THEIR NEEDS? ONCE THIS IS PROPERLY THOUGHT OUT, THE WRITER CAN CREATE A TARGETED PIECE OF INFORMATION WITH CONFIDENCE, TRUSTING THE AUDIENCE TO BE SMART AND FORGIVING ENOUGH TO ACCEPT OUR HONEST WORDS FROM THE HEART.

WHAT YOU SHOULD WONDER ABOUT YOUR AUDIENCE...
1.  HOW OLD IS YOUR READERSHIP?
2.  WHERE DO THEY LIVE? IN A RURAL SETTING OR A CITY?
3.  WHAT GENDER?
4.  WHAT SOCIO-ECONOMIC LEVEL?
5.  WHO ARE THEY? THEIR JOBS? ARE THEY RETIRED OR TOO YOUNG TO WORK?
6.  WHEN AND WHERE WILL THEY READ YOUR ARTICLE, STORY, BOOK?  AT WORK? ON A BUS? AT SCHOOL? SNUGGLED UP IN THEIR BEDS?
7.  WHY DOES YOUR WRITING CHANGE THEIR LIVES? WHY DO THEY CARE ABOUT YOU AND YOUR WRITING?
8.   WHY DO YOU WANT TO WRITE ABOUT YOUR CHOSEN SUBJECT? WHAT IS THE POINT?
 WHEN YOU WRITE, WRITE FOR A REASON, IT IS TIME CONSUMING, IT IS WORK. HOWEVER, NEVER FORGET, NO MATTER WHAT YOU WRITE THAT YOU ALWAYS MUST KEEP YOUR READER IN MIND.