How To Balance Your Intentions with Your Audience's Interests

            For every document, article, and book there are two interested parties: the author and the audience. It doesn't matter if you have an assigned topic or freedom to choose; either way, the interests of both you and your audience will affect what you write and how you write it. As the author, you might find it tricky to balance your interests with that of your audience. Before you begin writing, there are three questions you need to ask yourself to help you determine the best balance.

            The first one is deceptively simple: Who is my audience? Sometimes it will be obvious, but not always. Rather than assuming you know, take the time to think about what you are writing and who will be most likely to read it. Who is going to be most likely to look at your work? You can’t begin to balance the intent of your writing unless you know who you are communicating the information to. If you are lucky, you can choose the audience you direct your work towards. It can sometimes be easier when you get a choice in the audience you write to, especially if you have a subject already in mind. If you have an assignment, an audience is already in place. In the former case, it is important to know who you want your audience to be so that you can ensure that your topic is of importance to them. In the latter, knowing who your audience is will help you determine the direction your writing will need to take.
            Once you have identified your audience, you need to do a little research about them. The second question you need to ask is “What does the audience want to know?” This is a key question once you know whom you are writing to. If you have a particular audience you want to reach, this question will give you advice on what to write about. The author is reflected in the information and writing style while the audience is represented in the topic. Whatever you write about should answer the questions of your target audience. In the case of an assignment, researching your audience is important because it will tell you what to communicate to them in a way that will solve a problem for them.
            The third question also involves researching your audience, but from a different angle. By this time, you have determined what you will be writing about and who you are writing for. Now the answer to this final question will tell you how to write. You need to ask, “What does the audience already know?” The answer to this question will tell you what voice and tone to use as well as other stylistic choices such as how much jargon to include. If your audience is beginner users of a software and you need to explain certain functions to them, you will need to write more descriptions with plain language to make your directions clear to them. On the other hand, an advanced user looking for information about advanced settings in the software will be fine with minimal descriptions and use of technical terms. Once you know where your audience is at concerning your topic, you will know how to proceed in explaining your point clearly.
            Writing reflects the author and serves to share that author's message. It also needs to address the audience and their needs. By answering the questions of who, what, and how; the author can find a perfect balance between the author's intentions and the audience's interests. These questions will guide you in deciding what information to share and how best to share it.