Shrinky Dinks and Appleheads

So many of my ideas for both blog posts and story ideas come from everyday conversation and this post is no exception. Now, when I say everyday conversation, I usually mean things that happen at work. The "Sue and Olaf" series is a prime example of this (you can read about it in an earlier post, if you wish). This is another of those instances.

I was lamenting the dry air created in my house by our excessively efficient furnace to my younger staff members who are all essentially half my age.

Me: ...I'm drying out the inside of my house like a "Shrinky Dink".

Them: *crickets*

Me: Oh. Yeah. You're to young. Well, you know, it's like doing those shrunken apple heads.

Them: What? Why would you....

Me: We didn't have the Internet, ok!?!

Now, you may be wondering what this has to do with writing. I've been asking that myself and this is what I have come up with thus far. 

You see, my age demographic (You have to know this sort of thing, dear friends, if you're to get anywhere with your writing) is 13 to 20 - ish. I am hoping to reach a broader age group, but my base will be in this range. So then, this brings up the question of how am I going to make my story resonate with that age group when I am clearly so far removed from it? 

This has worried me some these past couple of weeks since that particular conversation. Yet, in the end, I feel that perhaps I haven't that much to worry about. Firstly, my inner child is only about 15 so connecting with my age demographic shouldn't be all that much trouble as long as I stay true to my self. 

But most importantly, a good story will resonate with a reader no matter what their age.