Stephen King rightly said that writing is a lonely job, so writers should primarily write for themselves. He also said that his writing is mainly for his wife, who is also his first reader and honest reviewer.
I have learnt this too. I started writing mainly for myself as a form of expression. And my wife remains my first reader, first critic.
I have learnt that beyond yourself, if you know who you can trust to read your writing, who is that someone who is interested in what you write, then you know who you are writing for.
Do not write for everyone. Write for that someone. Everyone is not going to read your writing. That someone will.
When it comes to a broader audience of your writing, it is useful to take a similar approach. You can’t write for everyone, you must write for that someone who is your audience.
Can you define who that someone is? Who exactly? How do they look? What do they believe? Where do they live? Why are they interested in what you write? What is it in your writing appeals to them? When and where did they find your writing?
You can define that someone in some detail. Make a list of them. They are the ones you can take your writing to and tell them, “Look at this. This is what I wrote.”
Write for that someone. After you write for yourself. Everyone else doesn’t matter.
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