Writing Blog Number 2

20240116 Who I Write For

Who I Write For

This is another general bit of information that some might relate to. The question is right there in the blog's title - who do I write for?

Well, first and foremost - I write for me. I write what I want to read. I write to get ideas out of my skull, characters and situations that refuse to leave me alone. I write because I need to. The problem is, what ends up finished is not always what I at first envisioned. I rate my own work on a 1-10 scale, and the lowest I've given is a 2 (highest is 8.5), with an average of 5.22 (median & mode both 5). yes, I do tend to be harsh on my own work, but also honest. [1. For me.]

Second comes from the work's inspiration - I write sometimes for someone. Be it a love poem (worked on my ex-wife when we were courting; has not worked on the woman I currently like), a story based on a dream they had, a column idea they've given me, or a ghost-written work, then there is sometimes an external person involved in the genesis of the work. In which case, I write for them as much as I do for me. [2. For a loved one.]

Third is the least important, and that is I write for an activity or contest at times. This means no matter how crap the work is, it has been written for an external set of eyes even above my own sensibilities. Sorry to those who run such things here on WdC, but that's the way it goes. [3. For an external activity.]

Fourth and final is an added extra: I write to sell. Sort of. I mean, I don't set out to write a story with an eye on the market. I just write to get the things out of my head, to make them leave me alone. And not everything is written with this sales eventuality; only things I personally rate well are even submitted. But this means I will tweak a work to fit into the guidelines of a publisher, an anthology, a magazine or an online site. So, while I am not writing for an editor/publisher and the audience they hope to get, I will change what is written for this purpose. This becomes important to me, as I am trying to make money from writing, and do not self-publish. [4. For an unknown and unseen audience.]

That's who I write for, and I have to be the first and foremost person at the top of that list.