You're not talking to yourself, you are having a conversation. Many writers are only dimly aware of their audience as they draft their stories. Some believe the reader doesn't come into play at all until the story is finished, or the article on the editor's desk. But since we write to be read, readers are an essential part of the writing process itself. Your audience is an implicit part of your writing, as much as plot and characters.
Writers tend to become hopelessly blocked when they try to please specific readers.
Especially when those readers are themselves writers. Knowing your implicit audience will help you avoid that particular trap. The simplest way to start getting a handle on your audience is to form a mental picture of your ideal reader. Chances are, your ideal reader is a lot like you. We write best when we write for an audience with whom we can identify.