Often when we write we are eager to tell our stories and we give little thought to who might read them. For some reason we imagine there are dozens of people waiting for our words, information. So it is something of a disappointment when we discover there isn't.
In fact the readers we imagined were like a mirage and they disappear in a shimmer.
So, before we start writing we need to pause. Who is our reader? What interests him or her? Who does he or she hang out with? What makes them angry, sad or joyful?
Take a breath. Visualize your reader and imagine him or her responding to your story or article. If a puzzled frown forms above his or her brow, you know your reader has escaped to a meadow somewhere, or a beach perhaps. But they are definitely not listening to your profound wisdom or reveling in your unique insights. And once they have gone nothing will re-engage them.
That's when we need to decide if the story burning a hole in our hearts will resonate with this reader? Or do you need to tell it in a different way, a way he or she can relate to.
So rather than subject yourself to that terrible agony become reader-centric. Invite them on a journey and give them the most unforgettable experience of their lives.
- Suraya Dewing's blog
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