The Face of A Reader

“When he shall die,
Take him and cut him out in little stars,
And he will make the face of heaven so fine
That all the world will be in love with night,
And pay no worship to the garish sun.”
-- William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet
-- Act iii, Sc. 2

A picture with Romeo and the Friar, from my yearbook!

...Ah, one of my favorite lines I had the privilege of speaking in the role of Juliet, my senior year of high school. Back then, I lived and breathed the theatre, and channeled my creative juices to portray believable characters.

As I look back on those performances, I realize that the nights when I actually knew people in the audience- family, friends, family friends – gave me such an adrenaline rush to perform my absolute best. Although the theatrical lighting glared in my eyes and I couldn't necessarily see their faces, knowing they were there gave me a heightened awareness of how they might process what my character was saying, doing...because I knew the audience those nights, I saw their faces in the back of my mind as I took the stage.
I would love to have a video of my performance with family in the audience, and without family there...I am sure I shined just a little more on nights when I knew who I was performing for.

Sixteen years later (wow, can't believe how long it's been!), I have chosen the art of writing to portray characters and plots, and intrigue a future audience. But two weeks ago, my future audience gained a face to heighten my attempt for believability and integrity. God graciously made me the mother of a daughter, after spending eight years as the “mom of boys”. While I sit and soak in every feature of my new baby, I praise God for her beauty, and I feel the standard of my writing being challenged.

One day, my daughter, the child I will do my best to raise in a Godly way... to teach how to be a strong woman in a tough society...one day, she  might pick up a manuscript of mine (hopefully in published book form ;) ) and stare into a bit of my soul. It challenges me to do my best, just like knowing my audience from upon the stage years ago. I am pushed to display truth and integrity in my characters to the best of my ability.
The face of my reader is my beloved daughter, and I know my writing will thank her some day. :)

Do you ever think of specific readers as you write? Does it push you to write your best when you think of the impact your writing will have on these people?