Writing is very powerful! Our words can, and often will, influence someone to take an action. That one reason alone is why we should exhibit mindfulness of our readers when we write.
A quality I try hard to maintain in my writing style is to not be judgmental, especially if I am writing about a controversial subject. After all, as we go through our daily lives, no two people will have the same experiences or the same feelings and emotions.
I have a deep belief that every one of us may believe and express whatever they want. That is their guaranteed freedom and their right to do so. As such, I have an obligation to my readers to write without bias.
I have to be sure to differentiate my story writing from my opinion writing. If I make disparaging remarks about either, I am setting myself up for failure, because only half of the population will listen to what I have to say.
No writer I know wants to embarrass or hurt their readers. Rather, writers want to use their words to build a bridge that reaches out to the reader. In that way, the writer can teach them, and possibly offer some influence to their mindset, if they are wise enough and sincere in their beliefs. They can develop a kinship with the reader, one that keeps them coming back for more.
In every relationship, there is give and take. Writers have to be willing to adapt their style to the readers’ satisfaction — not the other way around. That doesn’t mean we should change the way we write. It means we should make sure our writing is clear and understandable.
Unless we are writing for a specific audience on a specific topic, we must always keep in mind, not only our life’s experiences, but those of our readers as well. Some readers may have experienced something far greater, or far worse, than what we have undergone. We should temper our writings with this knowledge, always being kind to our readers.
A quality I try hard to maintain in my writing style is to not be judgmental, especially if I am…
