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You’re Not Actually Writing For Yourself
We have to remember why we started this.
Plenty of great writing advice starts with, “Yes, write for your audience, but never forget you have to write for yourself.”
This is true.
I like writing for an audience. I’m not uninterested in the things I write for other people. And how could I dislike topics I choose to write about? I’m the one who chose them.
Though most of us need to take this further.
We need to cut out the audience entirely.
When I hear other writers talk about what they’ve been writing, it’s always for something — that something usually being work.
If they’re writing a book — fiction or otherwise — it’s with the intent to publish. Same with an article or piece of poetry or essay about whatever. I am clearly not immune to this.
Yes, writing about something you like, even if it’s for possible or future pay, is technically for yourself. Yet the audience is still involved. Which means:
You have to start writing things no one else will ever see.
Don’t quit writing for pay — god forbid, we’d all be screwed — but don’t forget writing is meant to be fun.
