But in order to do so, the writer first has to figure out who that audience is.
I imagine my future readers as female (though I hope to attract male readers as well). After all, I write about a woman's struggle for psychological freedom and her yearning to discover a path based on meaning and purpose, rather than income and security.
But then I take it one step further and add an emerging subculture called Cultural Creatives as my imaginary readers.
My Thursday Two Questions to you are:
- As writer (and that includes all bloggers), describe your ideal reader. Or if you are a reader, describe your ideal writer.
- Have you ever heard of Cultural Creatives?
28 comments:
As a writer, I don't have "ideal readers". Just like real life I converse with all ages, and enjoy them all. I don't classify myself in a certain age group, because I think each age group can appreciate a certain part of me.
As a reader, I like female writers with strong opinions and male writers with strong convictions.
Hello Self Sagacity. Though, of course, I hope my novels will appeal to all, I know they will most likely appeal to women between the ages of twenty to...ninety? So this is the picture I keep in mind when I'm writing. Who knows, I may be surprised to find that men enjoy my novels, too. In my creative writing classes, the men claimed they were intrigued by my stories. Guess only time will tell. I hope my (strong) opinions come out through my characters, but it's difficult to express what I feel without resorting to preaching, a big no-no in fiction. Thanks so much for responding to my post.
1. As a writer and published author I basically write what I feel. I never have written for a specific audience. My niche is poetry so that is a bit limited. My ideal reader I would like to think is someone who is touched by my words.
2. I've not heard of Cultural Creatives but I will check it out. Thanks.
as a blogger, my ideal reader would be somebody who is open-minded and interested to learn and discover the experiences i share in my blog. as a reader, i love a writer who writes straight from the heart, and who can make me smile and giggle.
i have not heard of Cultural Creatives. it sounds interesting.
1) As both a writer and a reader, I don't set out to have any ideal reader or writer.. I believe in having an open heart to take(read) in what others have to offer and to give(write) what I have and can offer..
2) Nope, sorry, I have not..
My ideal reader is someone who really connects with me either as a writer, mother, home-schooler, etc. I want my readers to feel a bond with me, as if they have known me for years instead of a short time. I want my reader to think, "Wow, Cathy makes me feel like I've known her all my life." If I can do this, then I'm blessed knowing they sense my warmth as a genuine person.
No, I haven't heard of Cultural Creatives until now. Admittedly, I clicked on your link to learn more. I do not fall into this category. I do care about our world and I feel we need to be responsible, but I am not one to go out of my way to do special things. I think some of this causes more harm than good to our environment. Instead, I continue to do practical everyday things to take care of our world.
Hello Poetic Shutterbug. Yes, with poetry it would not only be difficult, but limiting, to write to a specific audience. When I write poetry, the words come from someplace beyond my brain (the subconscious) and flow through my fingers onto the page as if I'm simply a transmitter or transcriber. So I agree, the ideal audience for poetry is someone who is touched by your words.
Hi Luna. Being open minded and able to write straight from the heart are definitely qualities of a good writer, qualities that should be so simple, yet are so hard.
Hi Krislin. To give what you "have and can offer" is the ideal way to go and fits in with what Luna said about her favorite authors being those who write with an open mind and straight from the heart. Many authors do just that and find great success. As I said, this is the ideal. But often the reality of "publishing" is that we have to find a niche and then stick to it in order to attract a large enough following to be "marketable." Of course, with self-publishing and all the new technologies becoming available, things are changing.
Your goal of making your readers feel like they've know you all your life has succeeded with this reader, Cathy. I definitely sense your genuineness and warmth. I like your attitude toward life, that you do practical everyday things to take care of our world. I've always said that if we all took care of our loved ones, our neighbors, and our immediate surroundings, most of the world's problems would be solved.
These are such thought provoking questions. I really need to think about this..But I do want to write for myself, and a reader like me, who is more interested something intelligent, and filled with great facts, rather then fluff.
In a way, that's the answer, Lee. You're writing for a reader who (like you) is interested in more than fluff, and in your case, that means interested in history. Historical novels have quite the following. And you aren't limiting yourself to a specific age or gender.
My ideal reader would be naturally someone who's a lot like me. Some one who loves a laugh and just likes to see what other folks are doing. That's why I enjoy the meme's so much. I think I have a short attention span....lol....
I clicked on the link for Cultural creatives today and I did click quite a few.
1) My ideal writer would be someone who can entertainingly educate me, with a touch of their own life experiences. In other words, show me your human side!
2) I haven't heard of Cultural Creatives, sound interesting though.
Hi Donnie. I do think like attracts like as far as writers and their readers are concerned, though it often pays to follow a writer (or maybe impress a reader) who is totally different from you. Often, that's where the fun--and often the education--begins. I appreciate how you say that you like a writer who shows his or her human side. Not as easy as it sounds.
It seems that Cultural Creatives are a subculture many people are not aware of. Good. I'm helping to bring them to light. I venture to say that many of the people who will attend the John Stewart and Stephen Colbert "Rally to Restore Sanity" and "March to Keep Fear Alive" gathering on the National Mall will be Cultural Creatives.
Hi DoanLegacy. "Entertainingly educate with a touch of their own life experiences" and "show me your human side." Nice.
Hi Margaret,
1) My ideal readers would be people who actually take time to read what I wrote, and leaving me meaningful comments without nasty
ridicule!
2) I haven't heard of Cultural Creatives, but will definitely check out.
Yes, I do agree with Icy BC. Very ideal readers if would read everthing from top to buttom and give opinions.
For number, sounds interesting...I have read it from your previous post. You are so witty.
Hello Icy BC. Oh that's a definite yes! People who take the time to read what you write and then leave a comment are beyond value. But that takes commmitment on our part too. We must reciprocate in any way we can, comment on their blogs, for instance, or keep providing them with helpful content.
To read every thing from top to bottom and leave comments takes a lot of time, but I find that if a blog has content that is helpful to me and is interesting, reading is not a sacrifice, but a pleasure and I'm happy to leave a comment. It seems almost no one has heard of Cultural Creatives so far. I have my work cut out for me.
It's complicated! I am really more into photography than writing right now and hope that my readers enjoy what and how I present my art. Having been a newspaper columnist at one time I wanted readers who would find my stories entertaining enough to return. As a reader I like authors who weave an interesting and compelling story. I have to be honest and admit my reading taste are science fiction and science in general.
I haven't heard of Cultural Creative until today but numbers 1 and 2 on the list are a definite concern of mine.
Hi SquirrelQueen. There you go. You have just named your niche as a reader. And even your photographs probably appeal to one particular audience over another. On September 1 I did a post (Flickr/Creative Commons Favorites)about my favorite photos at Flickr/Creative Commons. I go for the pictures that are surreal and make me think such as those by yewenyi, pareeerica, h. koppdelaney, and mara earth light. As far as Cultural Creatives are concerned, you aren't the only one who has never heard of them. In fact, nearly all the commenters today said the same. Thanks for stopping by.
(1) I write for myself. LOL! The audience is just a bonus! As a reader I love the way people write about their culture (way of life) and their daily existence made interesting by their unique perception and interpretation of it!
(2) I am a cultural worker (doing cultural heritage work) and creatives so I guess that means any initiative or program that responds creatively to ones culture. I'm not sure but I'll google it later. ;-)
Hmm, you are right about taking what I thought further.. Thanks! :)
Anyway, I am here to tell you that I left a reply for you on Gauge 3 on Thursday Two Question.. Here is the direct link.. http://www.tingnovels.com/2010/10/can-you-tell-gauge-3.html
See you around.. :)
Good for you, Lui. To be able to write for oneself and count an audience as a bonus, is ultimately the ideal way to go. Blogs have certainly made the world smaller. I've learned a lot about other people's way of life by reading posts originating from all over the world. Nice take on Cultural Creatives, "a creative cultural worker."
Thanks Krislin.
My ideal writer would bring the characters and setting to life. Anything historical she wrote would not seem stereotypical, dated, or un-realisiticly modern, but would give me a sense of that time and place while leaving the characters as believable as the people in my own living room. I like stories infused with hope, even if the situation is hopeless, and with a believers perspective. My ideal writer would infuse that into her stories without making them seem polyanna or frivilous. Her stories would have depth but not leave you depressed. They would have a mix of drama, pathos, and humor.
Haven't heard of Cultural Creative. Gonna go take a look.
Hello Gale. Well said. You just described what all authors hope to achieve in their writing. But it isn't until they try doing this that they realize how difficult bringing believable characters and setting onto the page actually is. Thanks for stopping by.
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