7 subtle changes you can make today to make more people want to read your writing

Alex Mathers

Jan 06, 2024

Mastery Den, Saturday Edition, 5-min read.

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It took me many years of writing flat, lifeless words to an unreceptive audience before things finally started to click.

Working hard on a piece only to see three people give a damn is frustrating.

It can take a while to 'get' what makes for effective communication, but we can also learn a lot from the mistakes of others who've been in the game a while.

Learning and applying new approaches is critical. You don't want to spend years writing stuff no one reads. Even tiny changes in approach can significantly improve how the work resonates.

Here are some ways I've learned to quickly improve not only how your words impact ideal readers but your writing experience, too:

Stop trying to write everything about a subject. Have an angle.

So many noob writers start out by trying to squeeze a million things about one topic inside one article.

That's cray cray sauce. Stop making it hard for you and the reader. They'll be bored in a heartbeat. Get an angle, and have it focus on the reader's self-interest and make it more specific.

Instead of 'Northern Japanese green tea,' write about 'Why northern Japanese green tea can extend your life by ten years.'

Regularly ask yourself why you are writing.

No one does this. Then they wonder why writing feels as fun as clearing blocked charcoal from a chimney.

Write a list of all the kickass reasons you're in this. Who exactly are you helping? How are you contributing to humanity? What is it doing for your mental health?

Why does all this really really matter?

You can also extend this exercise into listing more reasons to write, such as new income objectives and how exactly you will achieve them.

Have good reasons to write, and your writing will flow.

Write faster.

Most of our writing woes are tied to inefficiencies and bottlenecks.

We can write in the same way a timid person enters a dark forest for the first time. We're resistant, move slowly, and our chests are tight.

But great writing flows from a loose hand.

The quickest shortcut to loose and more open and expressive writing is to speed it up. You might resist this initially, but you'll get the hang of it after a while.

This is made easier when we allow ourselves to write more than we need. We can always edit out the less good stuff later.

For now, you want to let go and fill the page with text.

Write when you're not writing.

Wait, Alex, did you forget to take your smart pills this morning?

Nope, but thanks for asking.

I'm talking about scribbling, noting, doodling and journaling. You want to make writing part of your physiology and, gradually, even your physiognomy (yes, a writer can have a look).

Be the obsessive police investigator who's always scribbling notes.

At least spend a few minutes journaling or free-writing before you write. This gives you an edge.

Few realise this, but writing is primarily a physical act rather than an intellectual one.

Move your writing muscles more, and you'll be a 'writethlete' in no time.

Be a bit more cheeky when you write.

There's a little mischievous part in all of us.

That little sucker is in there. It's just that many of us spend our entire lives trying to hide that part of us so we can fit in and not appear bat-shit crazy.

But this rarely makes for intriguing written material. You're just another generic vanilla dispenser people will want to wish didn't exist.

Have more fun with your writing. Be provocative. Have an opinion. Tell some jokes.

There's little else that will add spark to your work, but this will also help you enjoy your work.

Make more kickass lists.

Oh boy, don't get me started on lists.

If I could get engaged with — and eventually marry, and have a honeymoon in Bali with a list, I would.

Lists are multi-purpose things. You can write lists to brainstorm new, interesting ideas for topics to write about.

You can use lists to figure out solutions to problems. You can write a list as a starter outline for a piece you're writing or even a book, which you can expand on later.

It's far easier to write lists than solid blocks, and most readers also like lists.

Stop being boring.

I know I shouldn't need to tell you this. But too many of you guys write like you just stuck a small tree up your butt.

Dullness is often closely tied to one's need to look good and avoid mistakes.

I was dull in my first year at school because I was scared. I didn't want to invite criticism, and I didn't want to be called up to contribute in class. So I sat there like a stuffed smiling monkey, quiet and saying just enough.

So, what's the antidote to dull writing? Alex, you know it's not always easy to write fun, wacky words when our topics are serious.

I know it's not always easy, given the context of the writing. Some topics require a more serious tone or sharing dry statistical information.

But that doesn't mean it needs to be dull. You need to find the part of you that can enjoy themselves no matter what and then feed this enthusiastic spirit into the words.

This means actively asking yourself, 'What's fascinating about this?'

Find it, and then dive into that part of it.

If it doesn't genuinely interest you, it's absolutely not worth writing.

It also means being willing to say things that are a bit edgy or things that are honest and reveal more about what makes you unique as a human if you can weave that in there.

You're on the right track if it makes you feel invigorated or a tad nervous.

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Note: I’m going to be releasing many more books over the coming months and years to help you maximise your happiness and more.

The next book coming out soon is ‘The Art of Self-Respect.‘ I can’t wait to show you.

I am growing a separate list of people interested in helping me out with a book review for special perks and even free books.

If you'd like to join this group and be aware of all my upcoming book releases, that’s here.

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