Know Your Purpose, Voice and Audience

When I was a child, I loved to read, so much so that our public librarian had my next book picked out for me before I even turned in the last one. I suppose it is no surprise that I went to college and majored in English Education, the little girl entranced by books and fueled by the adult who coached her to read them. In graduate school I got a job teaching freshman composition, the class often on the list of Most Hated by college students. I loved the class, loved those students, loved teaching.

One thing I coached them to do, as I had been coached to do, was post three words in the upper right corner of every paper they wrote. And make sure they had the answers to those three words before they began. Purpose, Voice and Audience. Why are you writing this? From what voice are you writing—expert, curious young person, cynic? And who are you writing this for? Their audience could be family, other students, a particular teacher or a fantasy world of their own creation. The important thing was that they knew the answers to these questions and that those answers informed their work.

I still follow that rule today. In my books, blogs, newsletters or content consulting, I ask myself, why am I writing this piece, what is my persona and who do I want to read this? For example, this blog will reach an audience through social media. I will not know most of these readers, so I want to sound informed, but be accessible. My intent is to engage with some aspiring authors and offer these tips to support them in their work.

In my recent memoir, Hang on to Your Hat, I wanted to share my personal story, but within the context of the times I grew up in. The voice in the memoir advances from a scrawny, Mid-Century Texas girl, to a Ph.D. scholar and teacher, to a stockbroker, and then an older lady sharing earned insight and wisdom. I hope the audience is a combination of women who lived through those times and women who are curious about the great changes and advances for women that were gained, especially as those are threatened today.

I’ve got that figured out. Now, if I can just find a publisher.