Know Your Readers

One of the first things would-be writers are told in a writing class is: decide who your audience is. Know your reader, and write for that person.

When I started to write this blog, my goal was to share bits and pieces of my life. My reader would be - well, I wasn't sure who. But I envisaged a person much like myself, possibly at the same stage of life, with many of my interests - like gardening, traveling, quilting. So in the doubtful possibility that there were others like me out there, I wrote for someone like ME - sharing my life - occasionally trying to be profound.

I always enjoy hearing from people who read my blog, people I know and people I've never met. It's amazing that bloggers can create such beautiful pages with so little effort - thanks to the computer techies who have created templates and programs that are easy to use - and free sites that allow us to create them! The posted pages look gorgeous - and it's fun to know that someone out there is reading them...

But back to the question: who are my readers?

Well, my husband reads my stuff. As he says, he has no choice! My kids read it - probably to make sure I'm not misrepresenting anything they say or do! (And that is probably a really good reason to write - to share my stories and my ideas with my kids.) Occasionally my kids even mention my blog to their friends...

So those are my readers - a generational mix...

And what do they like to read? Well, I haven't taken a survey, but I occasionally get comments:

You have a lot of pictures and not much content, my husband noted the other day. I like it when you write more...

Did you see my blog? I recently asked my daughter.

I think so. Words, words - there were so many words... (So she obviously likes it when I post pictures...)

I showed Mathieu your picture of the pedestrian crossing with both stop and go signs, my son tells me. He thought it was cool.

Yes, my husband comments: That was your best blog.

My best blog?! Really?! So much for trying to be profound!