The Number One Rule

Love your audience—According to Robbie Williams

I really didn’t make an effort on this one. I had to belatedly go on The Guardian website (as I often do) and come across this article summarizing Robbie Williams’ concert at London’s O2 Arena this Sunday for me to write this story. I sometimes like to start writing something when nothing was planned in advance. You know, like when a happy surprise falls on you and you savor the moment like an innocent child. That happened to me last night when I got to the end of the Guardian article.

“Love your audience” — Robbie Williams

Writer Emma Garland writes: Like his father Peter, the Sinatra of working men’s clubs, Williams is a showman from start to finish. While waxing lyrical about entertainment, he tells us that the number one rule is “love your audience”, and that love clearly goes both ways. Before finally bringing things to a close with Angels, he nods to Knebworth 2003: “When I asked you to grow old with me at Knebworth you did, didn’t you?”

I don’t think I need to draw you a picture, you see where I’m going with this. Love your audience. I know, it’s not great philosophy. What I mean is we writers don’t even have to get up on stage and sweat in a beautiful sequined jacket to love our audience. Maybe some of you would dream of singing in front of thousands of people on the world’s biggest stages, but that’s another story. No, all we have to do is tap on our keyboard and let our heart speak, and that’s how we love our audience, and therefore our readers.

Isn’t life beautiful? Here I am telling you all this while listening to Angels over and over. I can’t imagine how many people on Earth have experienced crazy things to this song. Sorry, I don’t know what’s happening to me. Love your audience. Let’s be clear, I’m not talking about writing to please our audience. Far be it from me to try to write what people want to read. I leave that to the little soldiers of capitalism.

I’m referring to never forgetting to thank our readers and those who take the time to share their feelings in the responses here on Medium. To simply be grateful that we have people who read and support us. You can also do it by writing stories as I did in May of last year. It’s totally free and I think it’s the least we can do. Also continue to write from the heart, because that’s how people are touched and take the journey with us.

“Turns out there is a happy ending” — Robbie Williams

We all get older, that’s how life goes. Some are over 20, some are over 30, some are over 40 (hello Ginger Cook), some are over 50, and so on. So to make it all a little sweeter, let’s listen to Angels over and over and keep these words from Robbie Williams in mind:

Turns out there is a happy ending.

I don’t want to get old, and now I’m a little less anxious about turning 50. But all is well, it is in a very long time!

Thank you, Robbie. Thank you all, dear readers.