⭐ who do i address blog posts to?
This is a question I mulled over at length when I started my blog. Do I write about my private life? Who would want to read that? Who do I share my blog with, if at all? Do I only put out more polished work, or should I publish more experimental things I'm not proud of too? I never decided on answers to many of these questions; I resolved to just start writing and it's worked out pretty well for me, I think.
That being said, a few weeks ago one of my favorite bloggers Jason Kottke held an AMA, in which he answered the question of who he has in mind when he writes for his (delightful) site:
The site is best when I try to write posts as if each one is an email to a curious friend who I think would be interested in the thing I'm writing about, irrespective of topic/subject/field/whatever. I know not everyone is interested in every topic (or even most topics!) but I tend to look for things that people might find intriguing even if they don't normally collect stamps, skateboard, watch ballet, appreciate mathematics, or listen to rap. Anything is interesting if you dig deep enough, observe it from the correct angle, or talk to the right enthusiast.
This is a beautiful, concise bit, and I'm sure I'll come back to it time after time for inspiration. Thinking about my blog posts as emails to a curious friend makes it much easier for me to write, because knowing that you have a willing, kind audience does wonders for those nagging doubts all writers know.