All writing, as well as marketing itself, is about stories. Even fact-based articles are evoking emotions, feelings, or mental images within us, not to mention a heart-tugging blog post or a fantastic social media post.

Laura Mauro is an English horror fiction author, a journalist, and a Senior Writer at a game studio Bonsai Collective for the game Lunar Abyss. Laura has been writing fiction since 2012 and has been rewarded and nominated for their works multiple times.

We discussed with Laura in Wooli's 3 Points Podcast about core pillars of effective writing, and how to get your message across to your target audience.

Know what you want to communicate

In all writing - whether it's fiction, speech or a scientific article - the main question is what is the purpose of this text? Why do I need or want to write it and what I’m trying to communicate through it?

Find your way to discover the story you want to tell. It can come through planning, from a feeling or from a certain image in your mind. What compels you in it? That's your guide.

Know your audience

Recognize your target audience as every audience needs different communication. Your message should be communicated in a way that resonates with your audience.

You can never appeal to everyone, not even within your target audience. That’s a fact and it shouldn’t let you down. Write the way which is natural to you. If your prediction of how your target audience is going to respond to your texts fails, then at least you’ve written sincerely.

Learn from your errors

No matter where you are with your writing skills, you’re always learning more. If you don’t hit the mark with your writing, ask yourself why the target audience didn’t resonate with it and how I should change it. Be willing to kill your darlings.

You are entitled to go and sulk when you fail. It means you care and that's important for anyone who writes. After that little moment of upset, pick yourself up and write again.