How to write what people actually want to read
Writing a book or post that readers want to gobble up and tell their friends about is easier said than done. Going viral and being a bestseller is an admirable feat.
By the end of this post you’ll be on sure footing to get there.
You may have noticed that the internet is full of writing advice about how to write blogs and nonfiction books that go viral or become a bestseller.
I see it on Medium and other popular writing spaces every week. The wisdom goes something like this…
Hey aspiring writer, the real problem is that you suck at crafting headlines that grab people. Work on your hooks and you’ll get more readers.
Or
The real problem is that you don’t know how to use bold font, strategic subtitles or create an F-shape format that allows people to scan your writing. Make it more readable.
Or
The real problem is that you write about topics no one wants to read.
That last one is a heavyweight punch to the gut for most people. And what drives me most nuts is when I hear advice columns say something like, “All you need to do is this simple:
Just look into your readers’ soul and write what they most need to hear.”
It’s annoying because it’s true. The sweet spot of literary genius is to write a book that carries your unique voice and specific wisdom and also meets the precise feeling needs of an existing audience.
Self-awareness is one challenge unto itself. Most of us don’t reach for our worn copy of The Notebook DVD saying, “I wish to feel chosen by a partner who never lets me go.”
Knowing what an audience wishes to feel is another challenge altogether, right?
That kind of insight requires a blend of left brain analytics and precision for acute observation, combined with a right brain tuned in to 99.7 Imagination FM and brimming with empathy. Left and right brain working together.
No easy feat!
And, yet I’m not worried for you, because you were literally built for this. Ready to get those mirror neurons firing?
It can feel like an uphill climb over rough terrain to discover the motivation at the core of our reader’s psyche. Keep reading for more footpaths and clues in the right direction.
I’m here to confirm that the problem with your book and your storytelling likely isn’t:
your lack of writing skills
your lack of knowledge
your lack authority
but that you don’t know what individual readers really want to hear.
You haven’t yet dialed in to how they are aching to feel.
That is the cornerstone to successful works. You can certainly get there.
I invite you to begin with with a moment of self-reflection. Whip open your favourite journal or perhaps go for a walk and contemplate:
Why do you listen to music?
What music do you put on for certain moods?
What are you trying to evoke with that certain song on repeat?
Why do you watch the movies you watch?
Why do you read self-improvement books?
Personally, I do all of them not because of rational reasons but because
I need to be soothed
I need to feel aliveness
I need to feel forward momentum
I need to be empowered and understand parts of my situation to change it.
Yep, I need to feel a feeling.
Image sources in this post: Unsplash
Here is some Soul Work for the week to find what your people truly want to read:
Check out viral interviews and storytelling content on socials. Instead of wondering why it’s so popular, think about how it makes you feel.
Take a look at the published works of writers and creators you admire. How do you feel when you read or watch their work?
Think about the books and movies you keep going back to. How do they make you feel each time you experience them? Are they comfort blankets? Are they emotional wormholes to release pent-up tears? Do they get you fired up to take action or reconnect you with certain values?
Thank you for being on a mission to write works that connect deeply and uplift or shift humanity. The greatest works tend to heal the writer and the reader at once, and that is some real-life, practical magic!
I believe everyone has a story worth writing and publishing. It’s the ultimate act of personal development, in my experience.
Chances are good that you’ve got a few mini-masterpieces in you right at this moment.
Chances are also good you’ve been saying, “One day I’ll write a book” and that day somehow starts to feel further and further way.
If you feel ready to begin the journey of self-publishing them into the world, I invite you to join me inside B.O.S.S. Books (Being of Sacred Service) Collective. You would be in good company!
Check out all the details here