The app for independent voices
For many years now (since my blogging days), I've kept a fictional Target Reader in mind. Who is she? She's the person I write for—not because I don't want other people to read me, but because the old adage is true, that if you write for everyone, you write for no one.
When I write a book, plan a podcast episode, or publish a newsletter essay, I keep her in mind—she helps me unapologetically stay focused on what I need to say. Does this mean I'm rejecting all my other readers who aren't like her? Not in the slightest. I'm so glad they're reading! But keeping one particular reader in mind allows me to have a distinct voice, as well as to remember that even though I publish through a digitized screen, it's real-life, flesh-and-blood people who read me.
To keep this idea practical, I have a doc that I routinely visit (and sometimes tweak). I describe her thoroughly, even about things that wouldn't seem to really matter. I know her favorite bands, that she lives a few hours from where she grew up, and that she wishes she liked working out.
After I describe these details, I then answer the following questions about her:
If she could spend a day doing anything purely for fun, what would she do?
What are the top three problems she wants to solve?
What is her current driving question in life?
The first question helps me understand what brings her joy and her idea of delight. The second helps me know what daily stressors she feels when she's stuck in traffic or the laundry piles up. The third helps me sympathize with what really keeps her up at night, even if she's afraid to admit it.
Does this mean it's my job to scratch all these itches, to be a salve to all her pain points? No. But it gives me an idea of how I can help—even if that help looks like giving her a short story, just for fun, or a relatable comment here in Notes if it would help her feel less alone for one minute. These answers most definitely help me decide which book projects to pursue and what to publish on my newsletter when I have too many (or too few) ideas.
All in all, Carrie helps me stay focused when I'm tempted to solve too many problems through my writing. That's not my job. My job is to help Carrie feel seen, even just a little.
Oh, and by the way, her name is Carrie. Here's a copy of the doc I keep about her, if you're curious:
