This is the ONE reason your writing isn't making the impact you want

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Mastery Den, Saturday Edition, sitting outside with laptop, wind in face, 3-min read.

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I’m sitting looking out over the waves on a windy day in northern Estonia.

Kite surfers plough through the frothing, advancing waves.

I’m thinking about how there has never been a better opportunity for writers today and in the coming years.

I've been in this game for over a decade, writing and sharing online most days.

I've worked with writers and nurtured the craft for myself, adapting it as best as possible to an increasingly hungry online readership.

As time has passed, the opportunities for growing a loyal audience, impacting the areas I care about, and making good money doing it are remarkable and unprecedented.

Every time I write, I have over 180,000 people hooked into my online channels, ready to read my thoughts for the day.

People write to me every day, thanking me for my words, to the extent I can no longer reply to all.

But I also know how frustrating it can be to put a ton of effort into writing and sharing something, only for it to fall flat and get like 3 likes. Even if I was sure the damn thing would do well.

Today, I can far more effectively predict when a piece of writing will succeed or not online. I can still miss, but generally, my efforts are rewarded more frequently with views and earned income to match.

And I'm only just getting started.

So, what makes your writing fail?

There are several reasons why an article, tweet, newsletter or post would fall flat.

But more often than not, when we don't see the engagement and enthusiastic interest in our work that we want, it's because of this:

You didn't keep it simple.

Look around at any influencer, leader, writer or filmmaker whose stuff resonates - their creations travel far and wide because people are excited to share them.

It doesn't complicate.

The content delivers with very little, if any, friction.

People are snorting up content on the Internet fast. Attention spans are intolerant of fluff, noise or complexity.

People want it straight.

Crystal clear.

And down to Earth.

They don't have time to interpret your clever metaphors or forced analogies.

No one will scuttle off to the dictionary mid-read to make sense of clever words.

They'll unsubscribe and hurry over to the next writer - and fast.

People are tired of those giving off an air of superiority and writers who add an extra layer of complexity to their words in an attempt to come off smart.

The playing field has levelled, so people expect to relate to those they read as if they're close friends and peers.

Because you need to be.

Reduce the distance.

Speak to us how you'd talk to those you love and cherish over a beer in the pub.

This isn't about dumbing down your words.

It's about cutting out the shit.

This also applies to the things we write about.

You can write about something complicated and make it simple.

But you can also write about the most seemingly basic things and make them enjoyable.

I once read somewhere that a good story doesn't necessarily come from an unusual event. Great storytellers can bring mundane, everyday things to life.

Good writing adapts to the times.

And boy, are times a changin'.

So be real.

Be honest.

Say it like it is.

Don't weigh down your ideas with fluff.

Speak it like you think it.

Your simplicity is what we need the most.

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Thanks for reading.

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