Lots of writing advice goes along the lines of “write for your reader” or “know your audience.” That’s the guideline for how to frame your writing, what voice to use, and what level of detail to include. 

But what happens if you’re writing for a general audience–not a specific group?

Then how do you frame your writing?

One of my college professors gave advice that I still use: Assume your reader is intelligent but ignorant.

Write with the mindset that the reader doesn’t know your specific topic, but they’re smart and can understand what you’re writing. Then it doesn’t matter what knowledge or experience they have. You’re giving them what they need to follow along. 

That’s more useful to me than writing for a specific audience.

This post was originally published on Mythical Type on June 12, 2022.