The worst motivation for writing is to please other people. In fact, people are never really pleased to the level of your expectations when your goal is their acceptance.
As human beings our preferences are unique to each of us. Some people will pick up a book and absolutely love it while others read the same text and loathe it completely. We all read with our own experiences to draw from and because of our differences we come away from the same piece with original opinions.
You cannot please everyone. It is an impossible goal. Much like last week’s discussion on Writing What You Love you need to give yourself the freedom to write things other people might hate. You rob yourself of creativity when you care about the reader as you write. Your job as the author is to transcribe for a reader not to make them love every word you use.
In this chapter, William Kenower offers some replacements to “Is my writing good?” Instead he suggests asking these two questions after each session, “What did I want to say?” and “Have I said it?”
The answer to those two questions is objective. It is not based on someone else’s viewpoint therefore setting you up for rejection. As authors we must, “set aside the notion that you will ever write something so good that everyone in the world will like it and no one will criticize it.” (Kenower 59)
Practice: Start Documenting your preferences.
Since we are all unique it is important to figure out what works and doesn’t work for you. Find a way to document writing that you love and writing that you cannot stand. Then, evaluate what it is about that piece that you like or dislike so strongly. Knowing your own preferences can help you to develop a genuine voice as an author. That’s the goal…not pleasing others.
For me, in my new 2019 Writing Journal I am keep track of what I loved from books I am reading.
The Ameri Brit Mom
The Ameri Brit Mom 