written and posted by members of Lancashire Dead Good Poets' Society

Friday 15 July 2011

A stick

08:06:00 Posted by Lindsay , 5 comments

Audiences are like chickens and foxes. On the one hand we have the cunning, intelligent and astute fox who will likely heckle you given half a chance, and the loveable chicken who will cluck away with encouragement and enthusiasm. The trick is to stop the fox eating the chicken. Ahem the trick is to say something which appeals to them both. They may respond differently to what they hear or read, but there should be enough to keep them both entertained.

Well, that’s what I’d like to think, but they aren’t really like that. An audience is far more complex than I could possibly pretend to know. We’re a funny species, we human beans. We can try and aim our work in a particular direction, but there’s no guarantee it will hit. There are the main considerations: age range, sensibilities and political views. You wouldn’t present to the Scottish Rangers football club a poem entitled ‘Rangers sucks sweaty arse tubes’ unless you fancy looking at your own brain matter.

Yet after giving a great deal of thought as to what our audience would enjoy, and adapting our work accordingly, we still really don’t know whether it’s going to go down well or not. But isn’t that part of the fun? The risk, the anticipation of the unknown is somehow appealing.

So, who are my audience? I’m a juvenile sod, and because of this my leaning is towards children’s writing. But I’m not alone. There’s a little juvenile sod in us all, and I’m determined reach in and ask that juvenile sod what’s brown and sticky.

I’m no expert but I know what I like, so when presenting an idea, try not to bore folk. I write what comes naturally, try not to be a cliché and if it appeals to others then smashing. There’s no real formula to engage your audience as far as I’m aware. Just keep self-pity to yourself, don’t lecture, bugger off with any proselytising and if in doubt, make them laugh.
Oh and don’t let them eat each other.

5 comments:

Ashley Lister said...

Artwork, humour and intelligence. Now, if only you can finish that poem Rangers sucks sweaty arse tubes...

With seven syllables in that opening line I'm interested to see the form it takes :-)

Ash

Damp incendiary device said...

I had to look up proselytising. Great word :)

Juvenility should be a badge of honour. It means 'not jaded', 'eager' and 'smutty'. All good things.

I love that your posts come with drawings xx

Query said...

Fab reading but where does this stick come into it? I thought you were about to endorse the use of a poking stick.

Lindsay said...

Thanks guys, I''m using the drawings as practice to get me sketching something every week as I'm very lazy. I'm afraid that poem will never emerge Ash, I'm a proddy so as such a Rangers fan by default.

Lisa, what's brown and sticky?

Query said...

Ah clever sod.