I’m not sure how to handle this predicament.

George

I agree with your basic premise, but these thoughts always lead me to wonder who Burkowski or Jack thought about when they were writing. Often I think of it as writing to the universe. Speak the truth and they will come.

Which makes it sound a lot more pompous then I intent.

I find myself trying to walk that fine balance that both Leo and Mary are talking about.

I agree with Leo when he says:

“When we share posts with our readers, it should be to communicate and connect, not just to satisfy our need to write something….communication is about both the writer and the reader — if it’s only about the writer, there’s no connection and writing becomes an act of diary, not communication.”

I get what Mary say, though as well, when she says:

“our readers aren’t a homogeneous mass. So, do we tailor our writing to the majority? Or do we go with what we as writers – and some of our readers – are passionate about?”

I’d say the key is finding things to write about that both the writer and the readers are passionate about. If I’m trying to please the readers and get lots of comments, I can end up writing blandly about something that is popular but doesn’t interest me.

If I write about whatever I want, but isn’t of interest to many readers, then it’s kind of pointless.

There’s a wise, fine balance here–I think you should write about what truly drives you, and do so passionately; just make sure that it’s also a subject that people will actually want to read about.

That’s a valid point. Maybe it applies in particular to rants or posts about what I had for breakfast yesterday, or about what my cat dragged home at night.

The point I was making is different. Personally, I only write articles when I’m interested in a question and want to know what others think about it. In that sense I’m always writing for my readers. But– who are they exactly?

Here’s an example. A short while ago I wrote an article about our human capacity for both good and evil: Hero or Villain: What are YOU Capable of Being? It’s a question I’m intensely interested in and I wanted to see what others think about it. At the end of the article I promised a follow-on post that drills down and really takes a close look how the mind makes the decision for good or evil in each moment – and how we can make aware and wholesome choices of our thoughts and actions. (as you can see – I’m already getting carried away by the theme :-)

Anyhow, my article got some thoughtful responses, but I could sense that the majority of my readers wasn’t particularly interested. Then, a few days ago I got an email from a reader saying: “I look forward especially to more of your thinking about the roots of good and evil and working with them in the present moment”. So, yes – I did write what some of my readers wanted, but now what all of them wanted.

My point is that our readers aren’t a homogeneous mass. So, do we tailor our writing to the majority? Or do we go with what we as writers – and some of our readers – are passionate about?

I agree that you shouldn’t build “friendships” with other bloggers simply to promote your own blog…you should promote what you believe in.

I just posted an article for my Quips & Tips for Healthy Women blog – it was a round up of 10 women who turned their hobbies into full-time careers. I included links to each of their websites, and was SO happy to see readers clicking over! I love the idea of using my blog to promote other people, especially people following their passions.

Thanks Leo!