Comment by zkmon
12 days ago
Never cut out stuff that you felt important to include. Just forget the reader. The content you write should reflect you, not the reader. It's your expression. Don't make it a sales pitch, or a reflection of average reader's taste.
I get scared when an author is talking to me, the reader. I stop reading when they pretend to be aware of my context. Things like "So you are reading this book because you want to learn about AI" sounds very cheap.
Also I hate when the actors on TV suddenly start talking to the viewer about what they did and why did etc. Disgusting.
Audience want to observe the performers, not converse with them. Your best performance comes out when you are not much aware of the audience. Like a child playing, ignoring people around.
> The content you write should reflect you, not the reader.
It's not a binary proposition. One can write for both, as long as they're willing to compromise. I'd rather something be 80% good and have an audience than 100% good with no audience.
Why write if no one will read? I have no idea if even I will read it - I already "read" it while writing it. Maybe in 20 years I'll revisit? I don't know.
> I get scared when an author is talking to me, the reader.
> Also I hate when the actors on TV suddenly start talking to the viewer about what they did and why did etc. Disgusting.
That's your quirk. Don't assume others have the same preferences as you.
> Things like "So you are reading this book because you want to learn about AI" sounds very cheap.
I don't see anyone advocating writing like this.
In general, most writers disagree with you. I take it you've not heard of "Kill your darlings"?
Things like "kill your darlings" becomes a doctrine purely because of business goals, not artistic goals. It asks you to erase what you like, so that you can sell it. There is nothing visionary or prophecy-like wisdom in that. It's pure selling, which is considered divine by the capitalist western cultures.