Who's Reading Your Writing? by Liz Manning
My younger son is a musician, publishing his songs online
(here’s the link to his Facebook page if you’re interested: https://www.facebook.com/padraigsnotes/).
Recently he was intrigued to see that one track had been downloaded in America
and New Zealand and wondered who these listeners were.
I’ve had the same with my blog. Wordpress statistics tell me
that today it’s been read as far away as India, Ukraine, and Canada. I’m fairly
sure who some of these readers are but most I know almost nothing about.
Back in May (http://morethanwriters.blogspot.com/2019/05/6-blogging-mistakes-ive-made-and-which.html),
Lucy Rycroft challenged those of us who blog to come up with a reader avatar,
in order to define and personify our target audience.
I had a go at this and, after some mind contortions, came up
with this:
‘X knows a bit about Christianity from
when they were younger. Maybe they went to Sunday School or had a Christian
relative. But they are not an active Christian themselves. However they are
interested in spirituality and the deeper meaning of things/life, especially
having been through some difficult times, possibly bereavement or mental health
issues. They long for something better, direction even but they don't like
being told what to do or believe. Their family, past and present, is really
important to them. They have a creative
streak so the arts and beauty matter to them, including the natural world. They
love stories. Music speaks to them. There is more to them than meets the eye.’
When I read it back though, much of this
describes me. So is my writing a form of narcissism or personal therapy carried
out in public? Am I my own audience?
Perhaps not. But I do think that some of
my audience relate to my blog because we share similar concerns and experiences.
And I do yearn for those on the fringes of faith who, like me, struggle to fit
in with traditional church, but for whom Jesus can provide relevance,
direction, and hope. Perhaps we can only write for those similar to us in some
way.
Then there’s those who follow our writing
because they know us. They can be the more difficult audience. In the struggle
to be honest and personal, how much of myself do I choose to reveal?
The trouble with anecdotal writing is
that it’s a one way relationship mainly, making for an unbalanced sharing of selves.
How much do I want this whole range of people to know about me and my life? And
how much do they want to know?
It’s a dilemma I don’t have answers to. Any
thoughts and advice from those of you with more experience, please share them.
And then there’s the concept of writing
as a calling: for us Christian writers, a calling from God. How much do I remember
to present my pieces to Him for His response before I press the Publish button?
How much do I remember that He is the ultimate audience reading my work and my
life?
Liz Manning fits writing around being an Occupational Therapist, BB captain, wife, and mum to two adult sons. Or perhaps it's the other way round. She blogs regularly at
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