So often, I hear writers say, “I only write for myself.”

I hear myself so often say, “I only write for myself.”

And that’s true—but only partly.

Yes, I only write about the things that interest or delight me, that make me curious or angry, or in some way touch me.

But that delight, concern, curiosity must be translated for my reader.

What I chose to tell, and how I chose to tell it, always begins with the reader. I don’t write a word until I understand who it is I’m writing for.

For instance,...