Posted on by Belinda O

How Indeed?

Daily writing prompt
How do you write what people actually want to read?
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I find this prompt interesting. How, indeed, do we know what people want to read? I’ve started several posts lately that I’ve ended up deleting because I’ve found that what I’ve written doesn’t even really interest me. Generally speaking, that’s my guide–if it interests me, I trust it will interest other people.

Okay, not everything I’ve written will generate an enthusiastic response from all my followers. I know that. Not long ago Word Press started a feature where they show what you published on this date in years past. I have to laugh at some of those. For example, nine years ago today I wrote about the shocking cost of some toothbrush holders. Turns out you can spend hundreds of dollars on these things, and seriously, that’s ridiculous to me. You wouldn’t think there’s enough to that topic to generate a whole blog post, but I did, and based on the number of comments, it hit a nerve. But some of my past posts have gotten fewer comments, and I can only assume they didn’t interest people as much.

Beware when they say “standard size” bed pillow. The length and width may be standard, but not the depth.

I recently tried writing a blog post on how frustrating it is to buy something that says “standard size” only to discover, once I got home, that there’s nothing standard about it. But honest to God, every time I approached the topic, I struggled with the post and found it bored even me. So I trashed it.

Most of my past blog posts have been about something a little–or a lot–deeper than the price of a toothbrush holder or the size of a pillow. When I started this blog, I was going through a difficult time in my life, and I found that writing helped. Not just writing about what I was going through, but about lessons I’d learned in my life. I published two to three posts a week, and most of them seemed to be well received.

I’ve been working on a novel, and nearly all of the people in my writing group seem to like it. There’s one woman, however, who clearly doesn’t see its value. While most of us in the group hide our distaste for various genres, she seems to find it difficult to do so with my novel. So I take her comments with a grain of salt. I don’t really care for her novel, either, but I do see its value and I express that in my critiques.

Sometimes, you just gotta trash it.

I sometimes wonder how my favorite authors discovered how audiences will respond to what they write. How did they know this story or that would strike a chord? Is it the same as a blog post–if it interests me, it will interest others?

It’s both an easy and a complex question to answer.

Image Credits: Header © Bulgakova Kristina; Pillow © adobe king; Typewriter © Maryna; all–stock.adobe.com

13 Replies to “How Indeed?”

  2. Toothbrush holders have no business being more than five dollars though. And “standard sizes” are the same as “women’s sizes” totally arbitrary. Sometimes other writers are a goldmine, and sometimes they can be troll-like gatekeepers. Keep writing anyway! I think a lot of people just get lucky sometimes, and that’s okay too.

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  3. I love your rule of thumb—if it bores you while writing, it’s better off trashed! Though I have to admit, that toothbrush holder story sounds hilarious and so true to life. As SMedia mentioned in the comments, ‘standard sizes’ really are totally arbitrary! Wonderful response to the prompt, Belinda!

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  4. I completely understand what you’re saying, Belinda. I think the most helpful part about writing for me personally, is when it comes from my heart. The size of my audience has varied through the years. When it shrank, I was perturbed. But then I learned that it’s more meaningful for me to touch one person, than many. It really is enough!

    Keeping that in mind, has allowed my heart to open up more freely. Worrying about whether my writing is interesting or acceptable, is stifling. You’re a wonderful writer and I would get away from those prompts. Let yourself open up and write about anything that is inside, and I am certain you will find your flow. But mostly you will enjoy the process again!

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      1. Thank you for the compliment, Belinda. Honestly, I do think you are on track. You started out and weren’t sure what you were going to say, but what you did write was very beautiful. You expressed a lot of vulnerability, and people are touched by that.

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  5. Hi, Belinda. You know what I like about your posts? Your transparency. I believe that when we share our hearts, some will be interested, and some not so much. I decided after taking my journalism class that I deem myself a writer and not a journalist. While I do share information, I write because it’s freeing and someone somewhere might appreciate my perspective whether they agree or not. However, for me, I find writing cathartic.

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    1. Hi, thank you for your comments! I particularly like what you said about being a writer and not a journalist. I’d never thought of it that way, but I have to agree. I really want to write more on my blog, and hopefully, I can think of enough to write about!

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