Hello again writers, and once again thanks for being here!
Today we’re going to look at one of the absolute basics of writing stories. I’ve been over it before, but just like the good news of Jesus, there’s absolutely no harm in reminding ourselves of some foundational truths every now and then. 🙂
So, today we’re going to look at our TARGET READERS.
Let’s start with an exercise:
Who are your ideal target readers? How old are they? What are their interests? What are their dreams? What do they love and hate? What challenges are they facing? What is their experience of God/the church? Write down as much as you can. The narrower your audience, the easier it will be to write a story that will be relevant, engaging and suitable.
It’s a mistake to try to write for anyone and everyone. If the vocabulary you use is suitable for eight-year-old children, fourteen-year-old young people aren’t going to think it’s cool. Subjects suitable for young teens may be too scary for ten-year-olds. And so on.
Once you know who your ideal target readers are, do lots of research. Read the books your intended readers are reading, watch what they are watching on YouTube, find out what games they like to play. Glean as much as you can about their lives – their families, their communities, their school life. Make sure you spend as much time as you can with the children/young people you are writing for, so you know how they communicate with their peers, their families, and other adults. You can’t write dialogue for them if you don’t know how they talk!
This might seem like a complete waste of time, but once you start writing, you will see how having your readers in mind will help to shape your story in the best way possible. Honest!
Who are your ideal readers? Share you thoughts in the comments below, over on our website, or on our facebook page. Look forward to seeing you there. 🙂
Janet
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