Forget Your Audience and Write for One Person
Narrow your scope, broaden your horizons
Sharing work with an audience is one of the most terrifying things a new writer can experience.
Opening up to the opinions of the general public puts the writer in an extremely vulnerable position. Much in the same way a dog exposes its bare abdomen, the hope is that we’ll be met with a loving touch, a scratch on the belly — but we also open ourselves up to potential attack.
The very idea of an audience can be supremely overwhelming. The concept generally takes on an amorphous quality in my mind — faceless and nameless. I picture an entertainer on stage, blinded by the spotlight, aware that a crowd is there, but unable to make out any details.
It’s not exactly an image that lends itself to relaxed, stress-free creation.
There are countless articles on Medium and other writing blogs about the importance of “knowing your target audience” and “building an audience.” Obviously, these things are important for our success as writers, but I’d argue that focusing on the nebulous concept of an audience during the writing process is more of a detriment than a benefit.
What if instead of writing for thousands, we wrote for one person?
Less people, less pressure
When you imagine your work in the hands of a reader — what do they look like? Who are they? What gender are they? How old are they?
Rather an imagining the thousands of people you want to read your work, narrow it down to one person. Maybe it’s a person who actually exists — a friend or a family member — or maybe, it’s simply the ideal type of person you think would most benefit from your words. In any case, it is much easier to write for one person than for thousands.
By narrowing your scope down to one ideal reader, you take the pressure off of yourself to pander to everyone. You’re not trying to please the public at large; you’re trying to do the work that will influence one single person.
Suddenly you’re free to get words on paper without the threat of public crucifixion.
Make your writing more intimate and specific
Another benefit of writing, for one, is that your work instantly becomes more intimate. You can think of your writing as a conversation between you and a friend, rather than a commodity to bought and sold.
Using your words to influence the life of a single person will make the meaning behind your work that much more impactful. When people pick up your work in the future, they’ll feel as if you are speaking directly to them; they’ll feel a connection to your words. Your readers will become more invested in your writing as a result and become hungry for more.
Specificity is also a reason to write for an audience of one. When we focus on writing for a crowd, our work tends to become overgeneralized. You likely don’t know how to get an emotional reaction out of a room full of people, but you probably know how to get an emotional response from your significant other or your parents.
What would you say to get through to the people that you love? Chances are, if your words can get a rise out of someone you know, that will translate to a large portion of the public as well.
If you’re struggling to make your writing emotionally charged, relatable, and intimate — maybe it’s as simple as changing your scope.
