Your relationship with your reader determines your success How much should you consider your reader? Thinking about your reader too much can make you a self-conscious college essay writer. You can't write a word without wondering how it's perceived. Know this feeling?: uh-oh, is there something in my (sentence's) teeth? Just in case, you should only talk with your lips pressed against them. It's awkward but doable. But maybe not your best social strategy. Because in your response to the problem, you act unnaturally. Which itself points back to the problem. Did you follow that? No? Try this: Unnatural writing makes your essay cumbersome and-- hate to say it-- annoying. You need to find and honor the line between self-aware and self-defeating. On the other hand, not thinking about your reader enough can make your story impossible to follow. And therefore your college essay will fail to move the reader, or inspire that coveted college acceptance. Where's that happy middle place? Because there is so much your reader doesn't know unless you say it. What you should do for your reader Your reader needs your courtesy. Clarify, define or elaborate on your main references. Supply just enough context that your narrative is engaging and not confusing. Continue Reading …