Mar 11, 2015
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Welcome to episode seven of the "Write Now" podcast. This
episode is kind of a two-for-one special, in which I talk not
only about finding and writing to your audience, but how to deal
with that irritating little perfectionist who lives in your
brain and doesn't want you to finish anything. Ever.
Should I be writing for myself? My audience? Help!
You want people to read and like (and buy!) your novel/book/etc. A
great way to do that is to write stuff that people want to read.
But who are those people, and how do you engage them?
Should you focus on engaging everyone on the planet, a mid-sized audience, or one single person? Or should you simply write for yourself and hope that others share your interests?
So many questions. But I have answers! You'll find them by listening to this week's "Write Now" podcast.
Spoiler alert: My advice is to write for yourself, and edit for an audience of one person you respect and who encourages you.
For me, that person is Walt Wangerin, Jr., one of my favorite professors from Valparaiso University and winner of the 1978 National Book Award for The Book of the Dun Cow. This is he:
Remember, at the end of the day, done is better than perfect.
Squash that little perfectionist who lives in your brain. I'll help
you.
Book of the week!
I enjoyed a lovely re-read of one of my favorite poetry anthologies
this week, Staying Alive: Real Poems for Unreal Times, edited by
Neil Astley. It's an amazing compilation, and I can't stress
enough how much you should pick up a copy for yourself, and
potentially all of your friends and family and the strangers you
bump into on the street.
I also talk about "Wild Geese", my favorite Mary Oliver poem which also appears in this anthology. I debated whether or not it would be legal for me to read it out loud to you on the air, and erred on the side of caution. BUT! You can hear Mary Oliver herself read this short, lovely, & inspiring piece herself, courtesy of Maria Popova from Brain Pickings. And please do.
Get inspired and keep up-to-date with my reading
exploits on Goodreads.
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Submit a question.
I like answering questions, and I didn't have one this
week! So visit my contact page and type out your thoughts. You
can also email me at hello [at] sarahwerner [dot] com.
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Tell me your thoughts.
Whom do you write for? Yourself? Someone special or important in
your life? Let me know in the comments!
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The post Who Is My Audience & How Do I Write For Them? – WN 007 appeared first on The Write Now Podcast with Sarah Werner.