Writing for an audience if one wants to get printed in a certain
magazine is writing those things which one finds by experience the
readers of that magazine, as represented in the editor, want to read.
Or one may write with his mind on those readers of the magazine whom he
knows personally. The essential point is that the effective writer must
cease to think of himself when he begins to write, and turn his mental
vision steadily upon the likes or needs of his possible readers,
selecting some definite reader in particular if need be. At any rate,
he must not write vaguely for people he does not know. If he please these
he does know, he may also please many he does not know. The best he can do
is to take the audience he thoroughly understands, though it be an audience
of one, and write for that audience something that will be of value,
in the way of amusement or information or inspiration.
CHAPTER XIV.
THE USE OF MODELS IN WRITING FICTION.
We have seen how a real incident is worked over into the fundamental
idea for a composition. The same principle ought to hold in the use of
real persons in making the characters in, a novel, or any story where
character-drawing is an important item.
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