General Target Audience

For my first post, I thought it would be good to clarify who I'm writing for when I come up with an idea. If you're like me, there are times when an idea comes to you that you just have to share, and for me, I share through novels, and sometimes short stories and poetry. But who do I write for? Most of the time, it's something that's just for me. Something I need to get out or I'll burst. Other times it's something that I want to show my close friends and family. Finally there are some ideas that I want as many people as possible to hear about. These ideas are the ones that take a while to explain. They're the ones that need time to progress, and sink into your head. Those ideas are often my favourite kind, and take thousands of words to express. So who do I write for when I want to get these ideas out?

My ideal reader is someone who’s not afraid to think. Think about the way society works, about how we treat other people, about morality, and about themselves. They like to see the advancement of technology, and are curious as to the possibilities of that advancement. They want a hero who starts out afraid, weak and unwillingly, but becomes something more for the good of others. Someone who will sacrifice their own life in the end because they know it’s the right thing to do. My readers want to feel, strongly. They may laugh once in a while, but it’s not really why they’re reading my book. When they read my book they’re on the verge of tears, or they’re shouting at my main character to stay alive. They want a thrill, they want passion, they want love. But not as the central focus. If there’s any love you can keep that in the side story. Love story plot lines are so predictable and cliché that it would be criminal to spotlight them in my stories.

My reader wants to be shocked, they want blood and guts. They want a twist that makes them stop reading to recover from the blow to the head. They want a book that they could not possibly know what will happen next, and they want to be completely engulfed in the story. Drowning in it. They want to be able to miss a fire drill because they can’t hear the alarm over the sound of my character running from assassins, or jumping out of a building, or going back in time to save a loved one.

My reader wants more. They want more of everything, technology, conflict, war, conspiracy... they want to see the nasty underbelly of the people we respect and love. They want to know the gruesome truth no matter what the cost. They want to hear the unadulterated facts, and then sift through the waters to find the meaning. They want to make choices for themselves. They want to see the main character break the rules, push harder, and dive deeper than anyone thought they could. They want a main character who defies expectations. One that changes as a result of the story. They want someone that they might not have even liked in the first few chapters to become the person they are most desperate not to lose. They want to hear about the tough choices in life. The live or die questions. The ones that dictate who we are, and what others think of us. They want to know why their bad guy’s so mean. They don’t just want to be told that he’s awful and then leave it at that. They want to see it happen. See him fall from the Light Side and creep down slowly into the abyss of darkness. They want to see his heart break, twist, and turn to hatred. They want to see it all, and wish it wasn’t happening, because suddenly they realize that they love this bad guy, and they can’t bear to see him end up like that.

My ideal reader is the person who wants the nitty gritty truth of everything no matter what.

Is that you?