The Essential Audience
Over the past week I have been able to read and explore several essays regarding the topic of audience and the role they play in the writing process. And let me tell you it has certainly been a week of discovery. Prior to this week I had never made a point to consciously consider my audience throughout the entirety of my writing process. However, after reading so many essays by quite successful, and thoughtful writers I have come to realize that audience has, for me, been my sole motivation for writing up until this point.
As a high school student my primary reason for writing has been to fulfill an assignment, and although I made not have necessarily realized it every essay I have written was designed specifically for the teacher or class who would be reading it.
After this weeks lessons I have realized that in all these situations I had an extreme advantage over a majority of writers. That advantage is that I already knew my audience personally and thus had the tools I needed to express myself in a way that would appeal to them. This, however, is quite uncommon in the world of writing. A majority of the papers I have read regarding audience have attempted to explain what to do in such a situation. And although they all differ somewhat in the specific fundamentals, they all seem to be based on the premise that knowing the audience you intend to have read your piece, whether they be real or imaginary, is essential to the shaping of any work of writing.
This means that in order to grow as a writer it is imperative to be always aware of the person or people you want your piece to engage with. Having this prior knowledge will allow you to evaluate your own writing more realistically and will help you to fully develop yourself as a successful writer.