Ask me something.

[Roberto]

Here's where you can ask me anything about writing and narration.

[Carolynne]

Hi Roberto,

What are a couple of things that you do you do in order to find your preferred audience or ideal readers for your writing?

[Roberto]

Carolynne wrote: "Hi Roberto,

What are a couple of things that you do you do in order to find your preferred audience or ideal readers for your writing?"

Hi Carolynne,

Thank you for your question.

When I first started writing I knew who my preferred audience was. I wanted the audience of authors like Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Joseph Finder and James Patterson. I've read a lot of their books and became really interested in writing in those genres. But I also like to add supernatural elements as well as some oddity here and there. I figured that if someone is looking for something else to read that's in the same vein as these notable authors than I will have found a way to stick in their minds.

My ideal reader, to be honest, is my wife. We've been together for years and she saw some of my first stuff. At first, I was just writing to please me. I knew what I liked and didn't like in a story and read a lot of how-to books and novels I really enjoyed. But I learned that if you're going to write, you need a partner. Someone who can be your first audience.

When I was working on my first book, I'd give her a chapter a week. She loved it and told me to write faster, so I knew I had her hooked.

In my second book, I really started to develop my voice.

Now, whenever I finish a story, I set it aside for a few weeks, come back, revise it, then read the whole thing out loud to my wife.

It helps to read it out loud to see if it flows nicely. But it also helps because my wife will be honest and stop me if something sounds off or if something would work better in another scene. I can honestly say she's made me a better writer.

So, whenever I write, I think to myself, "Would this entertain her? Would she laugh at this scene? Be heartbroken in the next one? Will she piece together this mystery?"

Getting criticism in real time really helps to keep the story in check.

Long answer, I know. :)

Any more questions, just comment below.