The Writing Struggle: It’s Not What, It’s Who.

Lessons from a night out. . .

Photo by Sarah Brown on Unsplash

I stood in front of my wardrobe, hands in the air, saying "I don’t know what to wear." It was my friend’s boyfriend’s birthday, and we were invited to a club. As someone who rarely goes clubbing, I had no clue what outfit would be appropriate.

I dug through my wardrobe, asked friends for their opinions, and finally selected a sleek blue and black gown with gold accents, completed with flat shoes. We then headed out to the club.

Upon arriving and looking around, I was shocked. I did a 360 and dashed out of the club before anyone noticed my outfit. I looked completely out of place like I was sent by the government for club inspection. Luckily, I had the foresight to bring a more casual backup gown and shoes, just in case.

I dragged my friends out of the club. Forming a shield around me, they allowed me to change into the second, more appropriate outfit. Laughing and brushing off invisible sweat, I said, "Okay, that was close." We re-entered and had a great time.

Photo by Kenny Eliason on Unsplash

Lately, I’ve been pondering what to write, but my mind kept drawing a blank. Or so I thought. In reality, I was struggling to pinpoint what would resonate with my desired audience. Just like I had a closet full of clothes, yet struggled to find the right fit for the occasion.

Before analyzing this experience, I’ll say I’m no expert. I’ll leave writing advice to the true professionals I admire. I’m simply sharing my own recent realizations.

• The solution? Research!
• I could have avoided my wardrobe mishap by simply looking up "club outfits" online. For writing, we can use the internet to find topics and styles that resonate with our target audience.
• Additionally, don’t be afraid to try different approaches, just as I had a backup outfit. If one topic or style isn’t working, experiment with others in your arsenal.
• Finally, consider changing platforms if your current one isn’t yielding results,
• The first outfit was good for a classy club, but not the club I attended. Let’s imagine that I was hell-bent on wearing my outfit and not changing; I would advise myself to either settle in comfortably in the environment and stick out like a sore thumb or take myself to a classier club where my outfit would be more appropriate, miss the birthday party, but have fun with a few like-minded people and feel more at ease.
• In summary, research audience-appropriate topics, try varied writing styles and subjects, and explore new platforms. With some adaptability, you’ll find what clicks with your readers.

Remember the writing experts whom I said I admire? Here they are, and let me add, they have a good sense of humor.

Carl Jeffers David B. Clear

Thanks for reading! 😙