Writing for an audience is tricky business. I find having a set of people, even an audience, very annoying in the writing process; it’s akin to having multiple voices in my head telling me how the story should go and not let the story unfold on its own. Imagine backseat drivers.

(Not to say the audience isn’t important. I do think about them, but only in later drafts when the story is all etched out.)

Writing for one person is easier. Their tastes, their choices, an individual is unique and if I’ve been able to create a bond through my words with such a unique individual, then I believe my work is complete. In that sense, writing for my younger self is ideal. He’s the reader, he’s always been the reader. The me right now writes too much and is overly critical, whereas he reads for the sake of the story. A raw story works too.

My younger self and I are different enough that it works. And that’s the best part about writing, isn’t it? There is no ONE way to go about it. Everyone’s way is correct.