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Transcript

Who is Your Ideal Reader? · The Daily Writer

• 0:05
  SPEAKER_00: Welcome to the Daily Writer, where we share a lesson each day to help you cultivate the habits for creative success.
• 0:13
  SPEAKER_00: Writing is by definition a lonely kind of task.
• 0:17
  SPEAKER_00: Yes, we have editors, we have beta readers, we have graphic designers, and other people who help polish and perfect our work, but unless you're working with a co-writer, your writing starts with you and your ideas.
• 0:28
  SPEAKER_00: A great way to stay motivated is to remember that you're always writing for someone.
• 0:33
  SPEAKER_00: Now, hopefully more than one person will read your work.
• 0:36
  SPEAKER_00: Hopefully, hundreds or even many thousands of people will read your stuff.
• 0:41
  SPEAKER_00: But it helps to focus on one specific person whenever you're writing.
• 0:45
  SPEAKER_00: This is called your ideal reader, also sometimes called an avatar.
• 0:50
  SPEAKER_00: Now that's not to be confused with the tall blue aliens that appeared in James Cameron's sci-fi movie by the same name, but I digress.
• 0:57
  SPEAKER_00: Almost every writer has an ideal reader in mind whenever they're creating their content.
• 1:02
  SPEAKER_00: Screenwriters, speechwriters, preachers, novelists, journalists, and nonfiction authors all typically have somebody in mind as they write.
• 1:11
  SPEAKER_00: Stephen King famously uses his wife Tabitha as his ideal reader.
• 1:17
  SPEAKER_00: Now this not only helps to visualize the person on the other end of the writing, but also helps focus your writing for that specific audience.
• 1:24
  SPEAKER_00: Find out as much as you can about your ideal reader.
• 1:27
  SPEAKER_00: How old are they?
• 1:29
  SPEAKER_00: Are they male or female?
• 1:30
  SPEAKER_00: Where do they live?
• 1:32
  SPEAKER_00: How much money do they make?
• 1:33
  SPEAKER_00: What's their occupation?
• 1:35
  SPEAKER_00: What do they do for hobbies?
• 1:36
  SPEAKER_00: What are their problems, frustrations, or obstacles that you're trying to help solve with your writing?
• 1:41
  SPEAKER_00: Think of as many questions like this as you can.
• 1:44
  SPEAKER_00: You can even pick somebody in your real life who's your ideal reader and then write for that person.
• 1:49
  SPEAKER_00: They don't even have to know.
• 1:52
  SPEAKER_00: Your ideal reader is like a coffee filter that lets the good stuff through and keeps the bitter stuff from sneaking into your cup.
• 2:01
  SPEAKER_00: The other added benefit is that it reminds us that there's always real people on the other side of our writing.
• 2:06
  SPEAKER_00: It might start with just you and your computer, but it ends with the hearts and minds of real people whose lives we're trying to impact.
• 2:14
  SPEAKER_00: Thanks so much for listening to today's episode.
• 2:17
  SPEAKER_00: Before I go, I want to take a quick second to let you know that our Daily Writer membership community is open for applications.
• 2:24
  SPEAKER_00: One of the very best ways to develop better habits and impact more people's lives with your writing is to spend time around other successful riders.
• 2:32
  SPEAKER_00: So if you're tired of feeling isolated and trying to be successful on your own, you will love running with the other members of the Daily Writer community.
• 2:41
  SPEAKER_00: For more info, you can visit dailywriterlife.comslash community.
• 2:46
  SPEAKER_00: Thanks, and I'll see you tomorrow.