Pardon Me, What Did You Say? Day 16 of the Total Writer Transformation

This legend tells an important tale about perception: how your audience interprets your writing, and helps you understand the human experience.

All the residents in a small, remote village in India were blind due to a rare disease.

One day while taking a walk, six of the residents met a man riding an elephant. They were intrigued, they'd heard stories about such beasts but never encountered one, so the rider allowed them to touch the elephant so they could tell the rest of the blind villagers what an elephant "looked" like.

The six men approached the elephant and stood around it touching a different spot to understand the beast. When satisfied they thanked the rider profusely, then rushed back to the village.

When they arrived home they called for their fellow villagers to gather, excited to tell them about the elephant.

"What is an elephant like?" Asked the curious blind residents.

The first man, who'd touched the elephant's chest, explained, "It is built like a giant and sturdy wall!"

"No way!" Interrupted the second man, who had been holding the beasts tusk," the elephant is short and stumpy but smooth to the touch, and it had one sharp end! More like a fat spear than a wall!"

The third man, who'd handled the elephant's ear, interjected, " No no, you are both wrong. The animal is like a giant leaf made of a thick wool which bends to the touch and in the wind."

"Nonsense!" Cried the fourth man, who'd felt the elephant's trunk. "An elephant is actually like a huge snake."

"What is wrong with you all?" The fifth man shouted, addressing the other five men. He had touched the elephant's leg. "Was it not perfectly clear to you that the beast was round and thick like a short tree stump?"

"This is absurd. I can't believe not one of you got it right!" said the sixth man, who had climbed onto the animal and sat on it's back. "The elephant is much like a fat, moving mountain!"

All of the villagers were confused. Legend has it no one in the village actually knows what an elephant looks like to this day.

This is the very same thing that happens to anything you write- be it a novel, article, short story, song lyrics or poetry.

Every person who reads your writing has a different perception and gain something different from it than anyone else. Each person on this planet has had a different upbringing and set of experiences, was conditioned with differing pre-conceived notions, and grew up with separate belief systems. My truth is a different flavor than yours. This does not make either of us wrong, just different. And because of this we approach information in dissimilar ways.

The same goes for arguments. Each person has their own brand of the truth and how they view the world. During an argument, both parties each have a small part of the whole picture but believe only they understand it fully. Frequently it takes the combination of all the viewpoints and opinions to show the true picture.

Keep this in mind when you are writing for an audience.

This will not change the way you write per se, but it will allow you to understand that every person who reads your work will get something different out of it, but know that they each got what they needed. And if you are writing something important, consider if your piece has enough information in it to be able to get your message across to various viewpoints.

And remember that Steemit has community members from all walks of life who live all over the world!

Today's Challenge

Take something you are currently writing, or if you have no projects at the moment look at one of your recent published articles. Choose a viewpoint which differs widely from yours while keeping in mind the subject matter- if you are a 19-year-old computer science student choose a viewpoint such as a retired construction worker.

Now, if you write for a select audience- say you publish history articles for high school students, then you do not need to vary your perception too much. In that case you could look at your piece from the eyes of an exchange student to ensure the language is simple enough yet appropriate for the age group. Alternatively, if you write a piece on a medicinal plant which only grows in your homeland of Madagascar, you will want to provide plenty of information for those in your audience who do not live in the area as well as info on how the plant is used.

If you consider the audience when writing, you will help them understand the subject and view you as a trusted source, and come back for more knowledge.

Images via Creative Commons and Pixabay

Be a Better Writer in Just One Month! Join the 31 Day Writing Challenge to transform your writing and your life!

Day 1 The Truth About Making Time For Writing
Day 2 How to Incorporate Ideas From Life in Your Writing
Day 3 Master the Art of Captivating Your Readers
Day 4 Banishing Distractions
Day 5 Get Your Writing Noticed!
Day 6 The Importance of Morning Pages
Day 7 Why You Should Write Even if You're Not a Writer
Day 8 How to Personify an Object
Day 9 How to Use Writing Prompts to Improve Your Skills
Day 10 Why You Need an Email List
Day 11 There is a Best Time to Write!
Day 12 Your Future Path
Day 13 Do You Know How to Eat an Elephant?
Day 14 Soliloquy Speaking: Bring Depth to Your Characters
Day 15 The Red String- You and Your Readers are Connected

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