The Writer’s Quandary: Navigating Questions of Impressions and Influence in Writing
How can we get through to readers most effectively?
As many writers know, writing can be a lonely and laborious process. Questions surrounding the clarification of our message and the identification of our target audience arise during the editing process. There are numerous perspectives to consider when approaching a first draft.
Here I’ve distilled some of the questions that have arisen for me during my 28+ years as a writer, as well as the strategies I employ to work through them.
On conforming to get through to more people…
Cushioning egos and muddling your point with caveats and disclaimers results in less effective writing. As Chloe Curan wrote, “Given the choice between possibly causing others discomfort or censoring my writing until it becomes a banal blob of mediocrity and political correctness, I choose the former.”
And as Bobby Bones put it, “If every one of my ideas is universally loved, I automatically feel that it’s too safe.”
I remind myself that we’ll never be everything to everybody. That a bit of discomfort propels change — while excessive comfort keeps people complacent and set in their ways.
