Touch the Reader Where He Lives 

Ideas Abound!

I’m never at a loss for ideas. They seem to flow like water. Maybe you’re the same way. Coming up with topics to address is often the easy part for most writers. Ideas abound. Of course, there are those evergreen topics: topics that never go out of style. A few examples might be love, relationships, weight, career and so on. Editors are always looking for evergreens. . .right? Sure. I’ll write an article that anyone can relate to. It’s going to be great. The editor’s going to love it, and so will the reader. 

On second thought, is my topic too broad?

Am I reaching my target audience with just the right article? Am I covering life’s many issues in a way that will truly make a difference in someone’s life? Sure, I’ve written articles on love, parenting, diet, money, health, careers, death, chronic illness and so on. These are all pretty basic things that most people face. But how do I know for sure I’m writing what editors—and readers—are really looking for? And is it better to pitch an evergreen article – one that’s always in style – or to dig a little deeper? 

As writers, we need to be addressing real concerns for real people.

In so many ways they are looking to us, through our articles, to offer answers to questions they have about life. And they’re hoping we’ll meet them at their point of need. That’s the primary thing I want to address in this lesson: the reader’s point of need. 

From the time I first started writing magazine articles and non-fiction books, I kept hearing this term: felt needs. I was taught that I must write to meet the reader’s “felt” needs. That raised a host of questions inside of me. How do I know a person’s need if they’re only “feeling” it and not expressing it? And even if they are expressing it—through their actions or conversation—how can I offer hope? Are my words really that potent? Can I change lives? 

The answer is yes.

I don’t have the time in this lesson to share the many letters I’ve received from readers. You’ll have to trust me when I say that quite a few people have written over the years to tell me that something I’d written was exactly what they needed when they needed it.

One letter in particular stands out: I’d written a rather light-hearted story, what I like to call a fluff piece. A woman wrote to tell me that my book had helped her get through the chemotherapy process. Another elderly woman – nearly 90 – wrote to tell me that one of my stories reminded her of an event that had taken place in her childhood, one that brought back fond memories. These letters have propelled me to keep writing, even when I don’t feel like it, and to keep searching for topics that resonate with people. Topics that meet their needs.  

So, what is a “felt” need, anyway?

It’s really anything in my life—or your life—or your friend’s life—that is perceived as a bonafide need. Maybe you have a need for companionship, but never express it. Maybe I have a need for comfort when I’m hurting, but don’t know how to reach out for that comfort. Maybe your best friend needs help as she grieves the loss of a loved one. See how all of these needs are basic to humanity and yet specific to the individual as he or she walks through the different seasons of life? 

Here’s a question for you:

Have you ever wondered if a friend or loved one’s need was real or imagined? It’s not for us to judge, is it? And the truth is, even if your friend is only imagining her need, it’s still very real to her and she’s looking for answers. 

So, how do we go about giving answers that meet these vast needs people around us are facing? I’d like to give you one approach. I call this the Pandora’s Box method and I’ve pulled it from my fiction teaching on characterization. I also like to call this the “What you see is not always what you get” method. It works beautifully for magazine article writing. 

Let’s say you’re going to interview a man who owns a multi-million dollar corporation. At first glance your article might be about his luxurious lifestyle. His high-flying lifestyle. But once you enter his world, you’re able to somehow see beyond the fancy house and the expensive suit. And so you begin to ask questions. You ask about the little league team he played on as a boy. You ask about his grandparent’s work ethic during the depression. You ask about the death of his wife two years ago. In other words, you get right to the heart of the matter. 

Dig Below the Surface

If we’re really going to write about the kinds of needs people are facing, we can’t accept anything on the surface as the real story. We’ve got to get to the perceived story underneath. Maybe the real story about the millionaire corporate executive is his desire to spend more time with his son instead of traveling on business. Perhaps he’s always longed to have more free time to grieve the death of his wife. Maybe he’s wondering if he will ever have the time to slow down and search for love once again. Perhaps he’s grappling with the biggest issue of all: wondering if there’s life after death, and if he’ll ever see his wife again. THESE are his perceived—or felt—needs. 

It’s so clear to see beyond the exterior, isn’t it?

Okay, now it’s your turn. Imagine you’re sitting down to write an article about teenage obesity. At first glance, you decide to do an informative approach. You’re going to give those kids a piece of your mind, sharing the practical do’s and don’ts of nutrition. Then, after thinking it through, you realize there’s much more to a child facing obesity than a list of do’s and don’ts. It’s time to rethink your plan. That child has some serious “felt” needs that he’s likely not expressing. Why not pause this recording for a moment and begin to list some of the needs he’s struggling with. Take your time. We’ll pick right back up where we left off. 

Thanks for taking the time to list the felt needs for the obese child. Maybe you could post what you’ve come up with in the forum once this lesson is complete. In the meantime, I think you can see why the Pandora’s Box method works so well. When you open up that box – look beyond the surface – you find the real struggles people are facing. With this method, you learn to take nothing at face value. Absolutely nothing. Instead, you write articles that address the real, relevant, deep needs that people face. The things they don’t always talk about. 

• Does a woman who’s had a miscarriage vocalize what she’s feeling? Rarely. But your article could give voice to that.
• Does a man who’s been laid off six months before his official retirement date know how to express what’s inside of him? Probably not. But in your interview piece, you should show him that he’s not alone. 
• Does a child who’s lost a pet know how to ask for help with grieving? Probably not. But your story in a Sunday School take-home paper could be just the thing to help him get through the pain. 
• Does a teen who’s being bullied at school know how to ask for help? Maybe not. But your carefully thought-out article could give him a sense of direction. 
• Does an elderly woman who’s lost her spouse know how to express what she’s thinking or feeling? Maybe not, but your inspirational article could be just the thing to bring true and lasting peace. 

Yes, our words certainly have power, don’t they? 

When I think about “felt” needs that most people face, a few obvious ones come to mind: 

• Loneliness
• The need to overcome stress
• Grief
• Relationship problems
• Abandonment
• The need to feel useable
• Weight issues
• The need to learn a skill
• Financial concerns
• Debt
• The need to feel significant/important
• Job issues
• Health problems
• The need to be loved
• The need to laugh or to release frustrations

The list goes on and on. 

So, how do we figure out which needs are most important? Which ones specifically we need to address? A lot of that depends on your target audience and the publication you’re pitching to. Consider this interesting quote:  

"Go to the people.
 Live with them, learn from them, love them.
 Start with what they know, build with what they have.
 But of the best leaders, when the work is done, the task accomplished,
the people will say, "We have done this ourselves." (Lao Tzu)

Interesting quote, isn’t it? But it’s such a great answer for the question I posed earlier. How do we figure out which needs are most important? The answer is simple: Spend time with people. Get to know them. Look past the shell and into the soul. Watch for serendipitous moments. Give them answers, and when they’ve received some degree of healing from your words, listen to them say, “I’ve done this! I’ve made progress!”

No, you might not ever get a thank you letter. But what difference does it make? Through the power of your words you’ve made a difference. There is truly no greater thrill than that. 

As we end this lesson on felt needs, I feel compelled to say that not all needs are deep or depressing. Some are light-hearted and fun. The only way you’ll know which needs to address, though, is if you become a people watcher. So go forth, writers. . .and look for the story inside the story.