December 24, 2013

Why would anyone read what we write?

Dear M,

Why should anyone want to read what we write?
There should be something in it to interest them, to catch their attention. They are not keen to read our autobiography, just because we think it is exciting. The reader should be able to connect with it at some level, or find it funny or interesting or intriguing or true. There should be some amount of curiosity to see where it is headed.

If not, it will begin to look like a blog which means nothing to anyone. In defence of blogs, that's what they are meant to be. But that's not the case with books. When blogs (once known as weblogs) became famous, their promotional tag line was, "your online diary". A trifle contradictory of course, because who would want to put their diary (which they keep away from the eyes of people they know) online - where the entire world can read it? But, strange as it may seem, the fire spread. The definition of blogs changed and became ambiguous and all-inclusive.

But we aren't talking about blogs. Books are a different story. And unless that story is captivating, there are not going to be a lot of spectators. We don't need a lot of spectators for our writing; but if we are looking at publishing, then, yes, we do need some audience.

And how do we ensure our audience likes what they read? The discussion continues...

Love.

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1 comment :

  1. Absolutely. The reader should find your writing either interesting, useful or relatable.

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