I wonder if other writers wonder, or wondered when starting out, what their slant would be. By this, I mean, how do you choose your audience? I want to write to mothers, yes. But which mothers? Mothers who are very conservative and KJV only? Mothers who are relaxed, Gen-Xers? Mothers who work outside the home and stanchly defend that? Mothers who stay at home with their children? Homeschooling moms? The questions go on.
It really does make a difference to answer those questions so that I will know how to write! If I'm choosing the more conservative group, I'd not say things that I might to a more Gen-X group.
You might say that I should only be myself. Well, that in and of itself is often a contradiction! I like the old-fashioned hymns, but I also like '80's music, Josh Groban, and country music. I think "sucks" is a terrible word to say, but I don't think "damn" should be a swear word because it just means something is damned, like as in "cursed." (Still, I don't say it because it is not socially acceptable). I like to cook from scratch and even want to learn to grind my own wheat for flour, but I also like to have convenience foods on hand for the days when I don't want to cook.
I'd like your thoughts on all this, especially if you could speak from your experience as a writer or a speaker.
I already know the answer: As with all questioning, the thing to do is to pray and ask God to reveal which audience He has in mind. Or perhaps I should just write from my heart and trust Him to get it into the right hands.
I'll let you know what I come up with when I come up with it!
It's Cynthia again . . . I am leaning toward the write from the heart and let God put it in the right hands. I am not good at labels, don't really care for them that much. It seems I am always fighting to get out of whatever box people put me in. I try not to put others in that box as well. I too am eclectic in all my interests and my favorite questions are "Why?" "Why not?" "Who said?" "Who made that rule?" "What's the point?"
ReplyDeleteI am not willing to write to a market. Maybe that means I won't get published, make any money, receive any accolades. That's ok. I will write what God puts on my heart to write. It is His message. He will provide the audience . . . even if it is just me and Him.
God bless!
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