Thank you for the article! I'm currently stuck in creating my cover letter, and this exercise was helpful! Cheers
1. What makes your ideal reader feel seen and understood? Connecting to the creative life, being open to their own inner child
2. What do they stand for (social justice, family, creativity, etc.)?
They stand for Art, Imagination, Empathy, Innocence and Learning, Close friends and family
3. What do they care about most in a story?
The characters and their journeys
4. What is their idea of the perfect way to spend a Sunday?
Sleeping in, having a delicious brunch (either with loved ones or alone), then a brisk walk, sitting in a café and reading, meeting friends for beverages, and a night in, relaxing with TV, then reading before bed.
5. Apart from reading, what is their favourite activity?
Going to a play or even acting themselves.
6. What kind of stories do they love reading?
Tales that are whimsical, humorous, have vibrant characters, and sometimes poetic prose or magical realism
7. What is their favourite film?
The Wizard of Oz
8. What setting will they be in when they’re reading your book?
Sometimes in bed, sometimes in a café, and also on the subway.
9. What kind of stories feel overdone or cliché to them?
Anything too seeped in genre—Sappy romance, adventure without intriguing characters
10. What are they looking for in a book?
An escape, a central character to empathize with…a story that’s moving, imaginative and has some humor
First of all, I wanted to say thank you for this article--I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and I had a ton of fun doing the exercise to find out who my ideal reader is!
Before jumping in to describe them, I'd actually like to point out something that surprised me from your article--and I hope this doesn't come across any type of mean way. I actually found myself leaning more towards enjoying the style-led bits than the substance-led writing--particularly in the character getting laid off scenario (a desk like a grave no one visited? You're kidding, that's so beautiful!). Again, not a criticism at all, if anything it's made me more curious to continue reading your advice and to try to practice it myself, to challenge myself to write more substance-led pieces to see how it fares. It just made me laugh a bit, to see that we had such different opinions on the same pieces! I am looking forward to learning more from you precisely because of this stark difference.
Anyways, here's my ideal reader:
My ideal reader's someone who's curious about what makes us human, and seeks to understand it through the written word. Action-driven narrative can be fun, and they sure do enjoy it every so often, but they're more concerned with the interiority of the characters. They want to see a beautifully-woven story, a story full of not necessarily ambiguities, but certainly room for a little wiggle, for questions that do not need an answer. They feel understood when they see their own emotions reflected on a character, even if their circumstances differ greatly. They care for seeing shared humanity that trascends personal experiences. They want to be surprised, like with Woolf's life full of matches struck in the dark--and they wish to remember it vividly with such interesting use of language. On Sundays, they'll likely be relaxing with tea and a book, or tea and friends; either way, human connection. They enjoy walking around their town and people-watching; they're probably a writer themselves too. Their favorite film is Amélie, and they'll be in the comfort of their own home when reading my texts, or somewhere else where they feel comfortable and safe. I do not think they care much whether a story has been told a thousand times, as long as it reveals a new angle from which to look at ourselves.
I did not answer the questions in order, but I do hope I got all of them! Again, thank you for the article and the fun exercise! Hope you have a wonderful rest of your day!
Area, I was also impressed by the style-led versions and at first preferred them. But reading the notes and recalling something someone once said about good writing vs. great writing helped me understand it a bit better. Good writing draws attention to the brilliance of the author (oh, how clever! how unusual!) Great writing feels invisible; we don't think of the author at all, just how it makes us feel. Does that framing help with the substance/style comparisons?
Hi Jennie, many thanks for the thoughtful reply and for your insight! I see what you mean in this comparison of good vs. great writing and appreciate that you took the time to illustrate it.
I think here it may come down to personal preference and what each of us look for in our reading experience. I absolutely adore when an author's brilliance shines through, I love marveling at their choice of words and their unusual way of expressing emotions and experiences. I'm thinking right now of T.S. Eliot's "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" and his question, "Do I dare to eat a peach?" (after having already asked "Do I dare / Disturb the universe?") and how the vividness of this question has remained with me throughout the years. I am amazed not only by the contents of the poem, but by how they are transmitted as well. Same thing with the poem "Not Waving but Drowning" by Stevie Smith. I hope that makes sense!
However, I can acknowledge that these examples all come from poetry and, save for Woolf's matches struck in the dark, I struggle to think of other instances in fiction where I feel similarly about the style. Maybe this principle of substance vs. style applies better to prose than to poetry? Given that the author is also a poet, I'm curious to see what she says about applying copywriting to poetry!
Again, thank you for your reply! It was great food for thought!
a reader persona is such a good idea!
Thank you for the article! I'm currently stuck in creating my cover letter, and this exercise was helpful! Cheers
1. What makes your ideal reader feel seen and understood? Connecting to the creative life, being open to their own inner child
2. What do they stand for (social justice, family, creativity, etc.)?
They stand for Art, Imagination, Empathy, Innocence and Learning, Close friends and family
3. What do they care about most in a story?
The characters and their journeys
4. What is their idea of the perfect way to spend a Sunday?
Sleeping in, having a delicious brunch (either with loved ones or alone), then a brisk walk, sitting in a café and reading, meeting friends for beverages, and a night in, relaxing with TV, then reading before bed.
5. Apart from reading, what is their favourite activity?
Going to a play or even acting themselves.
6. What kind of stories do they love reading?
Tales that are whimsical, humorous, have vibrant characters, and sometimes poetic prose or magical realism
7. What is their favourite film?
The Wizard of Oz
8. What setting will they be in when they’re reading your book?
Sometimes in bed, sometimes in a café, and also on the subway.
9. What kind of stories feel overdone or cliché to them?
Anything too seeped in genre—Sappy romance, adventure without intriguing characters
10. What are they looking for in a book?
An escape, a central character to empathize with…a story that’s moving, imaginative and has some humor
Wonderful article! Thank you.
Hello!
First of all, I wanted to say thank you for this article--I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and I had a ton of fun doing the exercise to find out who my ideal reader is!
Before jumping in to describe them, I'd actually like to point out something that surprised me from your article--and I hope this doesn't come across any type of mean way. I actually found myself leaning more towards enjoying the style-led bits than the substance-led writing--particularly in the character getting laid off scenario (a desk like a grave no one visited? You're kidding, that's so beautiful!). Again, not a criticism at all, if anything it's made me more curious to continue reading your advice and to try to practice it myself, to challenge myself to write more substance-led pieces to see how it fares. It just made me laugh a bit, to see that we had such different opinions on the same pieces! I am looking forward to learning more from you precisely because of this stark difference.
Anyways, here's my ideal reader:
My ideal reader's someone who's curious about what makes us human, and seeks to understand it through the written word. Action-driven narrative can be fun, and they sure do enjoy it every so often, but they're more concerned with the interiority of the characters. They want to see a beautifully-woven story, a story full of not necessarily ambiguities, but certainly room for a little wiggle, for questions that do not need an answer. They feel understood when they see their own emotions reflected on a character, even if their circumstances differ greatly. They care for seeing shared humanity that trascends personal experiences. They want to be surprised, like with Woolf's life full of matches struck in the dark--and they wish to remember it vividly with such interesting use of language. On Sundays, they'll likely be relaxing with tea and a book, or tea and friends; either way, human connection. They enjoy walking around their town and people-watching; they're probably a writer themselves too. Their favorite film is Amélie, and they'll be in the comfort of their own home when reading my texts, or somewhere else where they feel comfortable and safe. I do not think they care much whether a story has been told a thousand times, as long as it reveals a new angle from which to look at ourselves.
I did not answer the questions in order, but I do hope I got all of them! Again, thank you for the article and the fun exercise! Hope you have a wonderful rest of your day!
Area, I was also impressed by the style-led versions and at first preferred them. But reading the notes and recalling something someone once said about good writing vs. great writing helped me understand it a bit better. Good writing draws attention to the brilliance of the author (oh, how clever! how unusual!) Great writing feels invisible; we don't think of the author at all, just how it makes us feel. Does that framing help with the substance/style comparisons?
Hi Jennie, many thanks for the thoughtful reply and for your insight! I see what you mean in this comparison of good vs. great writing and appreciate that you took the time to illustrate it.
I think here it may come down to personal preference and what each of us look for in our reading experience. I absolutely adore when an author's brilliance shines through, I love marveling at their choice of words and their unusual way of expressing emotions and experiences. I'm thinking right now of T.S. Eliot's "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" and his question, "Do I dare to eat a peach?" (after having already asked "Do I dare / Disturb the universe?") and how the vividness of this question has remained with me throughout the years. I am amazed not only by the contents of the poem, but by how they are transmitted as well. Same thing with the poem "Not Waving but Drowning" by Stevie Smith. I hope that makes sense!
However, I can acknowledge that these examples all come from poetry and, save for Woolf's matches struck in the dark, I struggle to think of other instances in fiction where I feel similarly about the style. Maybe this principle of substance vs. style applies better to prose than to poetry? Given that the author is also a poet, I'm curious to see what she says about applying copywriting to poetry!
Again, thank you for your reply! It was great food for thought!