On knowing your audience

[ColGray]

Shakespeare wrote for money. And no one looks at King Lear and goes, What a sellout hack!

I would rather people knew their genre, rather than some imagined audience. It is amazing how often I see people interested in writing fantasy who don't ever read fantasy books!

Yes, this. A 1000x this. "Genre" isn't a dirty word -- it's a shorthand that sets audience expectations. I'm paraphrasing Shawn Coyne and his book on editing, StoryGrid, but, If you say, I've written a thriller, but fail to have reveals or a scene where the hero is in the clutches of the villain, the book doesn't work. The audience has certain expectations based on genre. The same is true for any genre -- lit fic, fantasy, SF, YA, etc. Genre is audience expectations and if you don't read the genre, you're not going to know the expectations.

I'd also argue that genre = audience, but with the caveat that it's a rare book that captures 100% of the people who enjoy a given genre. Between audience size, language difference and various preferences, there will always be some people who shrug and say, not for me. And that's okay.

But it's hard to write anything that's original without knowing the genre-- we need to be our own audience, while also understanding what bits work, why they work and how we can subvert or re-interpret audience expectations.

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

Shakespeare wrote for money. And no one looks at King Lear and goes, What a sellout hack!

And Dr. Samuel Johnson said, "No man but a blockhead ever wrote, except for money."

Not that I entirely agree with that. Some people write purely for their own pleasure, and that's all right, too. But it's a good line to bring out when people act like there is some shame in wanting to sell one's writing.

 

[Steve Harrison]

The thought that someone might buy my books considerably enhances the pleasure I get from writing, and keeps me focused on what I think readers want or will like during the writing process.

Which leads to the question of whether I would still write if I knew I would never sell again. I think yes, I would, based on the fact I still write knowing the odds of securing another book contract are so slim.

 

[ANV]

When I see that line 'know your audience' it truly more feels for the performatiev part of art for me. Like when I used to be a teacher. When I am presenting at work. But as a writer I hope to become, I first need to have a story, then think about what possible kind of people would it be appealing for and then I go into revision in with some audience in mind. But I know people, who are detailed outliners, they know their story before they write the first chapter, they understand their theme, their characters, all the choices down the way and they know they want to appeal to certain readers.
I cannot do that. I need to get the first draft out to even see the story

 

[Montero]

I cannot do that. I need to get the first draft out to even see the story

Terry Pratchett said that was his working method.