Look at that – I aim to blog every week or so, but it’s the first of the month already!
Although I know what took the time up; preparing for half term, half term, and recovering from half term. Damn – I should be better prepared! 😉
Anyhow. The first of the month means it’s Insecure Writers Support Group time again. And this month they’re asking;
Have you ever pulled out a really old story and reworked it? Did it work out?
Well, the short answer is yes.
Oh, you wanted the long version? Ok, well, quite often stories brew away in my backbrain for a while before they’re ready to spill onto the page. Even then, they often don’t work first time, or something else will shove itself to the front.
One story in particular, I originally wrote for a competition. Needless to say, it didn’t get anywhere, and I left it on the shelf.
Around that time, I gradually came to the conclusion that I wasn’t a competition writer. My style isn’t really what competition judges are looking for. But. I knew that readers liked ’em. I just didn’t know how to go about getting the readers.
I pulled it out after a year or so, and read it to my writing group. Fortunately for me, someone with experience said; “This is just the thing that magazines like The People’s Friend are looking for.” And, what do you know? They were!
Writing is part of the battle. Understanding who your audience is, is another part.
The co-hosts for the March 1 posting of the IWSG are; Tamara Narayan, Patsy Collins, M.J. Fifield, and Nichole Christopherson. Do stop by and visit their blogs to say hi.
The IWSG was founded by Alex J Cavanaugh, where writers can blog about their hopes, dreams and fears. If you want to join this merry band of writers Click here to add your name to the list.
Someone else mentioned the importance of knowing your target audience. Your blog post has really reinforced how key that is. Glad you found a home for your story in The People’s Friend.
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Congratulations on the publication! And good job *finding* your target audience. I have to applaud the good sense to keep looking, and the strength to remember that they are out there.
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They are – somewhere! Sometimes they just need to be bashed on the head about it 😉
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Oh hey, that’s great! It’s an important lesson that I’ve had to learn as well: what is often dismissed as “bad” writing is sometimes just writing aimed at the wrong readers.
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And no feedback could mean anything!
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How exiting! Never throw things away. They can always be reworked elsewhere.
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Reduce, reuse, recycle! 😉
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It’s totally about audience. Way to find yours! (Writing is so subjective just because of this, eh?)
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Very – fortunate that people are so different 😉
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Nice. I’m a little jealous and glad for you all rolled into one. 😉
https://angelawooldridge.wordpress.com/
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You don’t need to be jealous – you’ve got a whole book out there!! I’m still aiming for that 🙂
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You have come a long way, my friend, congratulations. Knowing the audience, I find, to be one of my hardest things to figure out and learn. Maybe I should spend more time researching it.
Juneta @ Writer’s Gambit
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Let us know what you find!
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Oh how I love a happy ending for an author! Knowing your audience is, indeed, sometimes an art. So glad you found yours for this project.
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Thank you 🙂
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Woot woot! It’s fun to hear when it works out. And I totally agree about knowing your market. It does make a difference.
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Nice. I need someone like that. Knowing who your audience should be is so important.
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Congrats! That is awesome. Sometimes all a writer needs is a fresh set of eyes. Except for the odd one, I’m not entering competitions anymore. I’d much rather submit my work to paying markets for free than keep paying entry fees.
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