EXERCISE: Who are my audience, anypersons?

[mbarker.livejournal.com]

original posting: Sat, 16 Jun 2001 01:23:12 -0400

So, as the bits flow past, let's consider a hypothetical ponder.

Suppose one were writing an article (story, book, poem, etc.) aimed at 15 year olds.  Or even perhaps specifically at 15 year old young ladies.

How do you understand that audience?  What vocabulary, interests, etc. do you imbue the reader on the other side of the page with?  What mosiac of factotums, experiences, and preju..er, points of view do you bring to bear in crafting your tale so that it meshes (or aggravates?) the readership?

What measuring rods do you hold up to the audience to let you do your writing?

(which brings up all the fascination of how do you postulate your audience, anyway?  Do you write for yourself, for a specific person, for the greater globularity, or even for the collective?)

Or perhaps your writing isn't measured and metered against an audience?

To ponder, perhaps to consider, and then to write anew...