Process Post #4 Is Anybody Out There?

The internet is scary, and it is so vast and unknown with millions of users. Not only is the internet daunting, but publishing work online is frightening. You are becoming extremely vulnerable by leaving a digital footprint of yourself. In a sense, a digital footprint feels like leaving your DNA on the internet. Publishing yourself onto the internet is scary because of the potential damaging criticisms and trolls you might encounter. On the flip side, the internet can be extremely rewarding when strangers are able to connect with your writing and tell you how much your work has impacted them. To become a writer means being authentically honest about who you are and being clear on what you want to communicate to others. Apart from publishing and selling yourself online, figuring out who your audience is key.

Warner (2002) defines a public as “a concrete audience, a crowd witnessing itself in visible space, as with a theatrical public”. This public “has a sense of totality, bounded by the event or the shared physical space” (Warner, 2002, p. 413). Further, Warner suggests that this type of public occurs through the “relation to texts and their circulation” (Warner, 2002, p. 413). I identify with this definition of public because my blog is about poetry/prose and the relation of the text to the audience. Akin to my tagline, “writing to soothe your soul” my writing hopes to emote emotions from the audience/reader. I want my writing to convey a specific emotion: heartbreak, grief or love. My writing is about the human condition, and I want to convey the whole spectrum of emotions that can arise from love.

Writing is subjective, and inevitably it will not be for everyone. However, my intended audiences are people interested in prose/poetry and those going through a hard time. I hope my words will comfort others like a warm blanket. I have decided to stick to a simple black/white theme because it fits with the nature of my subject matter and does not detract from the weight of my words. This week, I did add visual components to all my pieces that may also emote a specific emotion. The visuals also make my site not look as barren.

Warner, M. (2002). Publics and counterpublics. Public Culture, 14(1), 49–90. https://doi.org/10.1215/08992363-14-1-49