Do you write for yourself or for readers?
My answer to this is: Yes.
And I use a Reader Persona to guide my understanding of readers and to expand my perceptions of what writing can do and who writing can reach.
This discussion thread is an invitation to explore our relationship to readers, using The Reader Connection Blueprint as a launching point.
I’ll be available in this come-and-go format to answer questions (this is available to anyone with a paid sub — upgrade here!), but here are a few to help you get started:
I thought writing for readers was discouraged. How come you’re talking about it?
How can I think about readers without getting overwhelmed?
Where can I apply the Reader Persona to my writing on Substack?
Hi everyone! I can't wait to connect with you all today. Today's chat is centering around readers and is an open invitation to ask me questions about The Reader Connection Blueprint, how to use it, questions, concerns and creative ideas about how to meet readers where they are. IF you have read the digital guide and would like to leave a review (and get a one-month comp as a thank you!), go here and leave your review in the comments: https://theeditingspectrum.substack.com/p/reader-connection-blueprint.
My answer to this is also yes! I wrote an essay about this early last year: https://antonia.substack.com/p/writing-in-the-commons-of-ideas
"What shows up here comes from me, the result of whatever happens in the strange internal process called creativity. But the content isn’t purely individual. It’s “my” work, but also “this” work, something that readers have a stake in."