I think you made the right decision. The same way many visitors are put off by too much lecture, art history and cultural references at the entrance of an exhibition, and won’t even step in to look at a single photograph, finding the right balance between being informative and personal is exactly what draws readers in.
I look forward to reading more Jim. Personal can be hard writing - definitely not the first draft. Another writer I have recently read is Bruce Chatwin and his book In Patagonia. While on the surface it is about the people he meets, their histories and cultures, at its core it is about his experience.
I think you made the right decision. The same way many visitors are put off by too much lecture, art history and cultural references at the entrance of an exhibition, and won’t even step in to look at a single photograph, finding the right balance between being informative and personal is exactly what draws readers in.
I enjoyed reading this post. The ‘personal’ would seem to be a valuable thing to put into writing. I might try it.
I look forward to reading more Jim. Personal can be hard writing - definitely not the first draft. Another writer I have recently read is Bruce Chatwin and his book In Patagonia. While on the surface it is about the people he meets, their histories and cultures, at its core it is about his experience.
This is an excellent set of observations. I look forward to experiencing the shift!