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Do you write for yourself, or do you write for the reader? Everyone has a different opinion on this, but I think the question of who you’re writing for really comes down to why you write.
If you write for the act of writing, you probably write for yourself. If you write to sell books, you probably write for the reader. But that doesn’t mean you can’t write for both reasons – or neither.
I have come to realise that I write for myself and I edit for the reader.
Write for yourself
I get the best writing done when I write for myself – that way I can write what I want to read. How can you write a 90,000-word novel if it’s not about something you’re interested in?
I need to have my own motivation for writing to be happy with anything I create. In fact, I need to have my own motivation for writing to be able to get any said writing done at all. I imagine most writers have an inner-motivation because writing is (usually) a solo task that won’t get done unless you sit down and get it done (unfortunately, although I really wish I could just imagine a story onto the page).
Creating a writing habit was something I struggled with during lockdown, when there was minimal structure in the day-to-day routine. And that was while working on a writing project I loved! It’s so much harder if you don’t love it.
What better way to make yourself want to write than to write what you want?
Edit for the reader
Writing and editing are different skills. I tend to find writing a more creative process and editing more structured. I am my best creative self when I’m inwardly focused, but I can open up to a wider readership when I’m editing.
The editing stage is when I consider how the writing can be more marketable or aimed at a particular type of readership – or target audience.
Not all writers need to reconsider their target audience during the editing stage – not if they’ve been writing for them all along – but I definitely need to sit down and think about what my story really says and how certain audiences will interpret it. If it was just for me, this wouldn’t matter, but because I want people to read my work, it does.
My advice
If you’re starting a project and don’t know who to write for, my advice is to write for yourself.
It’s hard to write while thinking about why you’re writing. So don’t. Immerse yourself in your story instead.
Worry about what you’re writing later. Worry about who will read it later. And worry about editing it later. Although, if possible, try not to worry (I know – easier said than done). Just write.