When writing any sort of document, keeping the reader in mind is of the utmost importance. Unless a writer plans on having no one read what he or she is writing (such as a journal), considering the audience is a must. Thus, I have given some thought to my ideal reader for each of the five topics I mentioned in my previous post.
My ideal reader for my music narrative: This person would have to be creative enough to acknowledge that songs can be subjective. Though the artist may have had something else in mind, I believe that music can touch people in ways that the artist may not have considered. Some people have difficulty accepting this, similar to how people have difficulty accepting that literary works can be interpreted differently from how the author intended it. They would, therefore, have to have an open mind and be able to acknowledge and believe in the profound, cathartic effect music can have on people.
My ideal reader for my football narrative: This reader would have to have more specific knowledge. I say this because most of the people who do not like football do not understand football. They don’t understand the rules and thus do not understand how it is the best sport in the world. Thus, my ideal reader for this particular narrative would have to have at least some semblance of an understanding of football. This is also because if a reader did not like or understand football, they would have trouble understanding the importance of football to me. The reader would have to understand that football can be more than just entertainment and that the sport itself is (generally) about more than just being good at it: it is about teamwork and building character.
My ideal reader for my baking narrative: This perfect reader would not have too many qualifications. He or she would just need to have some appreciation for baking because, again, there are some people who just don’t like to bake. I do believe, however, that most people like to eat things that are baked. In this sense, my perfect reader could be just about anyone.
My ideal reader for my interpersonal narrative: This reader would need to understand the dynamics of interpersonal relationships. He or she would need to know how to empathize and understand the patience that it requires. Other than this, I don’t think there are many more specifications for the ideal reader.
My ideal reader for my writing narrative: Simply put, this reader would need to have a love of writing. Unfortunately, many people (especially students) dislike writing and think it has no importance in the world. This is, I believe, because teachers approach writing from the wrong perspective. Consequently, I would need to have a reader that shared a love of reading and writing and could acknowledge the importance of the written word in a person’s life.