Audience is everything. Readers define how to approach a story and what words to choose. Knowing our readers frames our work as writers. You wouldn’t start a project for children the same way you would for seniors. In my last blog, I wrote about knowing your audience. This blog follows up with some concrete tips to write with your reader in mind.
In nonfiction, writers speak directly to the reader, which is why it’s so important to know your audience. Nonfiction must serve the subject and the audience. The subject determines the content, the audience determines the style, tone and vocabulary used. You can’t write about a scientific discover the same way to a general audience as you would to a group of scientists. The latter requires a more technical approach and can use jargon appropriate for that audience—jargon that would be lost on a lay audience.
In fiction, the story is in charge and the characters are the voice of the work. Knowing your audience helps frame that story, determines word choice and defines your market. Knowing your readers also helps to narrow down the type of book you are writing so you can shape it properly.
But no matter what you write, your reader is important. Here are some ways to keep your reader in mind:
Respect Them
The worst thing is to write down to your audience. You have to trust them to keep up without breaking every scene down to its tiniest bits. Trust your readers to read between the lines. You don’t need to tell them everything. Let them pick up mood, atmosphere and emotion through the setting, action and dialogue. Let them fill in the details with their imagination and become part of the story. In nonfiction, assume a certain level of understanding, but by all means include links to provide additional information just in case. Just don’t try to include everything in your main piece. It will overwhelm your reader.
Be Conversational
When possible, write to your audience in a conversational, plain and accessible style. This helps readers assimilate the information better. It also increases understanding, streamlines the writing and cuts down on awkward sentences. Writing in a convoluted style is common. In fact, it got so bad in government writing that in 2010 President Obama signed a Plain Writing Act to regulate “governmentese” in federal documents. It’s gotten better since then, but old habits die hard. Try to eliminate stilted language, even when your client resists. When in doubt, pull out a copy of the Plain Writing Act to support your position.
Paint a Picture
Visuals help increase understanding, which is why video is becoming the preferred way to access information on the Internet. Use your words to paint a picture for your readers. Let them see what you mean. This could be done by using strong setting in your novel or by including strong visual words in your nonfiction. There’s a reason narrative nonfiction is the norm now. A strong story-based approach works in nonfiction because it uses the elements of fiction to firmly establish setting. For an example of stellar nonfiction writing, read Educated by Tara Westover.
Make It Personal
Specifics help personalize a generic approach. Even if you are writing a standard piece, personalize it with imagery and details. Try sharing personal anecdotes, when appropriate. The point is to make your reader feel like she is on the inside of the story. This means letting your reader in on the action and emotion of the story. It also means you should do what you can to tap into your readers’ emotions.
Know When to Hold Back
Don’t give into the urge to offer everything. Give your audience room to join you in the story. If you give too many definitive details, you rob them of the opportunity to see the world you are creating. In nonfiction, you may need to be definite, but in fiction, give your reader room to bring their imagination to the experience. Given them enough to put them on the right path and the let them fill in the rest.
Your reader is the key to successful writing. They define how you paint the picture and tell the story. In client work, you need to pitch the content to the target market. In fiction, you have to know the audience for your work so you can properly pitch the story to your agent.
Your reader is where you begin. Always. No matter what you write.