Entry 21: Helping the Reader

American Novelist James Jones said, "I think the writer ought to help the reader as much as he can without damaging what he wants to say; and I don't think it ever hurts the writer to sort of stand back now and then and look at his stuff as if he were reading it instead of writing it." Why might it be especially important to evaluate one's own personal narrative from the reader's point of view? What is the relationship between the writer and the material in a personal narrative, and how does it compare to the relationship between the reader and the material? How can it be helpful for a writer to look at the writing from the reader's point of view?

• I believe that it is especially important to evaluate one's own personal narrative from the reader's point of view because by doing so, he or she is making it easier for the reader to understand as well as the experience the writing material of the author. In general, it helps convey to the reader the messages intended to be conveyed by the author. And when the author successfully conveys what he or she wants to say to the reader, it may provide insight to the reader, and help the reader connect the material of the author to the reader's personal experience (activated certain emotions). If the author does not stand in the reader's point of view, then the reader would think that the author is talking nonsense since he or she doesn't understand what the author's saying and would not read the material. The relationship between the writer and the material in a personal narrative is basically that it's personal - the narrative may be biased due to the close emotions connected. The relationship between the reader and the material is more distant (not personal). The reader may just believe that it's just another story or just some other knowledge.