How do you write for an audience?

"I'm used to writing just for myself."

“How do I write for an audience (not just for myself)?”

“How do I know which audience to write for?”

“How do I write in ways that will engage my audience? I’m so used to writing only for myself.”

Many of you have sent me questions around writing for an audience.

Audience is important—so let’s discuss!

(If you have questions—please send them my way.)

Diary entries and morning pages are useful to write. All those raw emotions, reminiscing about old friends and old times, off loading those swirling thoughts.

But…

They’re not so useful to read. The last thing you want to do is bore your readers.

We know not to publish our diary entries, but does that mean leaving our experiences behind closed doors? No way.

With AI writing in the world, we need personal experiences more than ever in writing.

Which leads to the me/them debate

There’s this debate in the writing world: Do we write for ourselves or for our audience?

But does it need to be either/or?

Can’t it be both?

I’m not a very opinionated person so maybe I’m fence sitting here.

I’d love to hear your opinions in the comments.

Editing is where you engage your audience

Even a diary entry can be made engaging with one question:

“Why will anyone else care?”

Keep it in mind as you edit.

Sometimes the answer will be:

• It teaches them something new

• Helps them feel less alone

• Gives them a solution

• Entertains them

• Shows them a new perspective

Any story, even a very personal one, can be engaging if you make sure it has two things:

• Character growth (what did you learn/understand/discover)

• Conflict (what was the issue, inner push/pull, problem, resistance?)

Readers care about the emotional engagement around a conflict—even funny pieces have conflict!

What does both look like? A Case Study

So can we write for ourselves AND others?

The other day I was asked to write a piece on reproductive depression for a women’s magazine.

First, I wrote for myself. This is something I’ve dealt with personally.

I wrote about what I went through last year. (It was a tough year.) I let myself write everything—how it felt, how it affected me, my worries and thoughts around it.

Then I turned outward and thought about my audience.

Note: If you’re experiencing something, 100% there will be others experiencing something similar.

What did other women experiencing reproductive depression need to know?

I interviewed a specialist in the area and asked questions I wanted answers for and ones I thought might help my readers.

The final article was a combination of both personal story and information.

Many topics suit this style of writing: Story first, information second.

• The story sets up the problem/conflict (often a common one).

• The information offers understanding and/or answers.

It could be a work issue, parenting, grieving, decluttering, business, love, dating…

Readers care about your experience because it helps them find understanding and answers for theirs.

Who is my audience?

That will change slightly for each piece. It could be:

• the type of person you were two years ago.

• people dealing with a particular conflict or issue.

• readers who love certain genres—like memoir.

• people passionate about the same things you are—such as running.

• people wanting to learn from your expertise.

It can help to have a single reader in mind as you write—or someone you know.

Writing for an audience is a two way process. You write, they give you feedback in comments, views, claps, etc. Take that feedback onboard and you’ll discover what your audience’s pain points are and where you can be useful.

Do you think writers can write for themselves and others?

Do you know your audience yet?

Let me know in the comments.