Comments on: Writing for an Audience of One http://www.annezelenka.com/2006/11/writing-for-an-audience-of-one a blog about the connected age Mon, 13 Oct 2008 11:36:17 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5 By: Anne http://www.annezelenka.com/2006/11/writing-for-an-audience-of-one#comment-788 Anne Fri, 22 Dec 2006 14:20:03 +0000 http://www.annezelenka.com/testbed/2006/11/writing-for-an-audience-of-one#comment-788 Kathy - in this case, I agree with you more than me... I think I went a bit too far with my argument and it ran away, or maybe bucked me off like a horse. (Hoping you are doing okay, speaking of that!) Kathy - in this case, I agree with you more than me… I think I went a bit too far with my argument and it ran away, or maybe bucked me off like a horse. (Hoping you are doing okay, speaking of that!)

]]> By: Kathy Sierra http://www.annezelenka.com/2006/11/writing-for-an-audience-of-one#comment-787 Kathy Sierra Fri, 22 Dec 2006 02:25:56 +0000 http://www.annezelenka.com/testbed/2006/11/writing-for-an-audience-of-one#comment-787 "But I think you get the most out of reading someone else’s ideas when it really is purely their ideas, not what they think you want to hear." I don't think of those as mutually exclusive. But rather than asking myself, "what will people want to hear?", the questions I ask are, "How can I help? What can I give to people that they can use?" I write only about things I care about and believe in, but I cannot say that I'm simply writing for myself. I am absolutely writing on the blog and in my books for the reader. What might a reader be thinking, feeling, struggling with, frustrated with, curious about, etc. With fiction or pure opinion pieces perhaps it's quite different, but with non-fiction and especially communication meant to teach or inspire, I think it IS important to put the reader first in the exact same way we expect companies to put the customer first. I know it's tricky... but I do think there's a big distinction between "<i>selling</i> out" by writing what you think people want to hear--and "<i>helping</i> out" by writing what you think people will find useful. I think I know what you mean and I agree with the overall idea of writing what you believe vs. what someone wants to hear, but I think there's more to the story... [sorry it took me so long to actually post this comment] “But I think you get the most out of reading someone else’s ideas when it really is purely their ideas, not what they think you want to hear.”

I don’t think of those as mutually exclusive. But rather than asking myself, “what will people want to hear?”, the questions I ask are, “How can I help? What can I give to people that they can use?” I write only about things I care about and believe in, but I cannot say that I’m simply writing for myself. I am absolutely writing on the blog and in my books for the reader. What might a reader be thinking, feeling, struggling with, frustrated with, curious about, etc.

With fiction or pure opinion pieces perhaps it’s quite different, but with non-fiction and especially communication meant to teach or inspire, I think it IS important to put the reader first in the exact same way we expect companies to put the customer first. I know it’s tricky… but I do think there’s a big distinction between “selling out” by writing what you think people want to hear–and “helping out” by writing what you think people will find useful.

I think I know what you mean and I agree with the overall idea of writing what you believe vs. what someone wants to hear, but I think there’s more to the story…
[sorry it took me so long to actually post this comment]

]]> By: dave shields http://www.annezelenka.com/2006/11/writing-for-an-audience-of-one#comment-786 dave shields Tue, 12 Dec 2006 04:38:37 +0000 http://www.annezelenka.com/testbed/2006/11/writing-for-an-audience-of-one#comment-786 Couldn't agree more -- see http://daveshields.wordpress.com/2006/09/17/security-through-obscurity/ There is a related observation. My wife has often asked me, "If you are just writing for yourself, why just type up your thoughts and file them away? Why do it in public?" I have found that for the writing to have meaning to you it must be written for others, in full public view. Somehow you gain an edge by writing on the edge. That's also explains in part why I have argued to blog inide the firewall is pointless; see http://daveshields.wordpress.com/2006/10/18/which-side-of-the-firewall-are-you-on-if-you-are-on-the-inside-then-you-are-on-the-wrong-side/ Couldn’t agree more — see http://daveshields.wordpress.com/2006/09/17/security-through-obscurity/

There is a related observation. My wife has often asked me, “If you are just writing for yourself, why just type up your thoughts and file them away? Why do it in public?”

I have found that for the writing to have meaning to you it must be written for others, in full public view. Somehow you gain an edge by writing on the edge.

That’s also explains in part why I have argued to blog inide the firewall is pointless; see http://daveshields.wordpress.com/2006/10/18/which-side-of-the-firewall-are-you-on-if-you-are-on-the-inside-then-you-are-on-the-wrong-side/

]]> By: Anne http://www.annezelenka.com/2006/11/writing-for-an-audience-of-one#comment-785 Anne Fri, 01 Dec 2006 23:28:11 +0000 http://www.annezelenka.com/testbed/2006/11/writing-for-an-audience-of-one#comment-785 Chris, I think that the fact that people read for themselves is what sometimes throws off the writing of something. Of course you can't totally forget that someone else is going to read it--the thing that differentiates blogging from diaries is the theoretical possibility that someone else will read it. But I think you get the most out of reading someone else's ideas when it really is purely their ideas, not what they think you want to hear. Chris, I think that the fact that people read for themselves is what sometimes throws off the writing of something. Of course you can’t totally forget that someone else is going to read it–the thing that differentiates blogging from diaries is the theoretical possibility that someone else will read it. But I think you get the most out of reading someone else’s ideas when it really is purely their ideas, not what they think you want to hear.

]]> By: Chris Mahan http://www.annezelenka.com/2006/11/writing-for-an-audience-of-one#comment-784 Chris Mahan Fri, 01 Dec 2006 22:05:27 +0000 http://www.annezelenka.com/testbed/2006/11/writing-for-an-audience-of-one#comment-784 Writing for yourself? I read for myself. Obviously no? Writing for yourself? I read for myself.

Obviously no?

]]> By: Do what you love… » thinks http://www.annezelenka.com/2006/11/writing-for-an-audience-of-one#comment-783 Do what you love… » thinks Fri, 01 Dec 2006 03:05:04 +0000 http://www.annezelenka.com/testbed/2006/11/writing-for-an-audience-of-one#comment-783 [...] See, the thing is this. You can try to convince people that you’re something that you’re not, or you can actually be the thing you want. It’s that simple. A number of smart folks back it up, including Fred Wilson (both here and here), the fabulous Anne 2.0, and Matt McCall. The common thread in each of these, for me, is that all really define success against internal measures, not how much money flows to the bottom line. Sure, the money often follows, but it’s not the first consideration in any of these cases. [...] […] See, the thing is this. You can try to convince people that you’re something that you’re not, or you can actually be the thing you want. It’s that simple. A number of smart folks back it up, including Fred Wilson (both here and here), the fabulous Anne 2.0, and Matt McCall. The common thread in each of these, for me, is that all really define success against internal measures, not how much money flows to the bottom line. Sure, the money often follows, but it’s not the first consideration in any of these cases. […]

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