How to Deal with The Reader’s Unpredictability
You’re never truly in control of what you write.
I once made the terrible mistake of writing an article about women’s PMS and the effect it can have on a woman’s body and mind.
My intention was to shed some light on this natural part of life in a way that would help everyone, especially men, understand the monthly challenges a bit better.
Boy, was I wrong!
The comments in this article were quite a mix — from grateful folks to some seriously angry, seething men, demanding that I take the article down because everyone knows PMS is just a myth women use to act like jerks every month.
Curious and hungry for answers, I re-read my article hoping to find out where I went wrong.
- Was there a specific phrase that offended these men? (Yes, all the angry comments came from men.)
- Could I have expressed things differently?
- Is my writing style unintentionally offensive to some readers?
Time for a little self-reflection.
I found myself flooded with questions and no clear answers. Despite my genuine intention to provide information, the hundreds of comments labeling me as a manipulative woman, seemingly representative of…
