Writing tips/productivity
Why You Should Write Your Story, Even If You Think Others Won’t Get It
How to get past your doubts and give readers what they want.
When I was about twelve, my family decided to visit the relatives living in a small town located in the great state of . . . well, it doesn’t matter. Let’s just say it’s one of the contiguous 48.
It was a pleasant little town, one of those out-of-the-way places that looked like it had sprung from the canvas of a Norman Rockwell painting. The storybook houses sat on deep, perfectly manicured yards, their long driveways sheltered by leafy canopies of oak and maple, while front porch swings buffered the illusion of Victorian propriety with down-home hospitality.
The downtown area was four blocks of shops arranged around a historic town square. Most of the quaint storefronts were filled with displays of merchandise and smartly-dressed mannequins. All around us, people moved about their business in a friendly, unhurried way, often taking the time to stop and chat about the weather or the daily special at the local diner.
It was one of those places where you’d expect Andy and Barney to suddenly walk out of Floyd’s Barber Shop after having spent the better part of the morning chatting with smooth-talking Gomer and his celebrity-impersonating cousin, Goober.
One afternoon, my mother and aunt took me on a trip to the drugstore.
My mom needed a half dozen rolls of film for her new Brownie StarFire, and there was no better place to buy film than the drugstore — because in the back was a soda fountain. And everyone knows there’s nothing that tastes as good as a Coke made with a double shot of syrup and a dash of cherry flavoring.
We parked on the street, right in front of “Dawson’s Drugs and Notions.” As we stepped up to the sidewalk, my aunt noticed it first — a hand-lettered sign prominently displayed in the store’s window: “Going Out of Business — Everything 50% Off.”
My mother, concerned her supply of notions was precariously low, made a beeline for the front door. Thirty minutes later, she placed her items on the checkout counter, and the clerk at the register began ringing up the merchandise.
The clerk was meticulous, picking up each item, examining it for cracks, tears, or other flaws, then punching the keys on the cash register. Noticing the prices were being entered at the regular sticker price, my mother asked when the discount would be calculated.
The clerk answered, “Oh, at the end, when I take the total and divide it by half. We couldn’t take fifty percent off each item — we’d go broke that way.”
Now, I know not everyone’s a math whiz.
And personally, I have to use a calculator to figure out a twenty percent tip. But here’s what I remember about that experience that keeps it so firmly anchored in the bedrock of my childhood.
No one said anything. Not to the sales clerk. Not to each other.
There was a line of folks standing behind us, most of whom surely heard the comment. My mother didn’t seem to think it important, and my aunt just smiled and reminded us that dinner was at six that evening instead of six-thirty.
The intention of the story is not to poke fun at hard-working sales clerks. It is simply to point out that not everyone is going to “get it.”
And that’s okay — because not everyone needs to. For example, when I was growing up, I loved the satire of Woody Allen. And yet, many of my friends thought he was nuts — and not in a good way.
Here’s another one: Some folks read the lengthy sentences of Hemmingway and find themselves drifting off to places and times that keep them captivated for hours. Others read the same page and wonder if he was ever introduced to the concept of using a period.
That’s what makes it so difficult to forecast the success rate of a post or article.
Every reader is different, with different levels of experience, education, and intelligence. And each person will evaluate the quality of what they read based on what’s going on in their life at that moment in time. For some, it will be precisely what they need to read. Others will be bored to tears.
As writers, we can’t anticipate who will read our work, how receptive they’ll be, or if our content is a good match for their current needs.
The same post or article we think is sophomoric or too basic for publication may be just what Bill or Susan is looking for. In fact, they’re out there right now, waiting for someone to show them the way — in language that speaks directly to them.
So keep writing.
Give it everything you’ve got. And if possible, base it on personal experience. There’s no better teacher than someone who’s been there and back, and chooses to share the experience with others.
And the next time you start second-guessing the quality of your work, remember Bill and Susan. It might be exactly what they’re waiting for.
© 2020 Roger A. Reid. All Rights Reserved.
Roger A. Reid is the author of Better Mondays: The New Rules for Creating Financial Success and Personal Freedom (While Working for the Man)
Roger A. Reid, Ph.D. is the host of Success Point 360 Podcast and author of Better Mondays and Speak Up. A certified NLP trainer with degrees in engineering and business, Roger offers tips and strategies for achieving higher levels of career success and personal fulfillment in the real world.
