Problem: Trying to please a vague “audience” leads to bland, over-general work.

Mechanism: Targeting a single recipient engages audience design - writers automatically choose clearer words and more concrete details when visualising one listener (Clark & Murphy, 1983).

Examples:

J.K. Rowling drafted early Harry Potter chapters as bedtime stories for her daughter; the direct tone carried into the final books.

David Ogilvy wrote ads for one imagined reader, claiming it forced honesty and specificity.

Newsletter writer Sam Parr opens drafts with “Hey Mom”—a trick that keeps language plain and personal.

Try it: Name your reader: “my 17-year-old self,” “a friend who hates jargon,” “one fan who just lost a job.” Address them directly for a full draft - use “you” instead of “customers,” pick examples they’d care about. When you revise, widen references only where needed; the personal spine keeps the piece vivid even as reach grows.