Stop telling me!

"Here's how to be more productive."

vs:

"Here's something weird I changed in my morning routine."

Which sounds more appealing to read?

You can write about exactly the same topic, but elicit entirely different responses when showing, not telling.

Knowing this makes all the difference, not only for your reader's response, but in how you experience your own writing.

Over the last few years, I'm seeing people are increasingly resistant to being told what to do, but they lean in when you:

• Do things.

• Tell people about it.

The first approach positions you as the expert dispensing wisdom from on high.

The second invites people into your curious little human world.

And for writers (or content creators) who feel stuck, this gives you a good reason to NOT be the guru.

You don't need a decade of expertise to write consistently and connect with readers. Just share what you're up to, what's working and what isn't.

I steered clear of this for a long time because I worried it wouldn't look professional or be useful. But people respond well to this. Your stuff becomes more relatable when it's less prescriptive.

Showing people what you're up to does this.

And you'll never run out of material this way.

I just do interesting things. I talk about it through my writing, podcasts, videos, whatever.

I don't feel like such a try-hard, and people engage better.

More of this:

"This is what I'm working on."

"Here's what I noticed today."

"I tried X and Y happened."

This allows your content to centre on your own curiosity, making it fun and contagious.

You build a picture of your life, your personality, and your fascinations. All great for brand growth.

In my own writing, the posts where I share what I'm working on get better responses than when I'm in 'instruction mode.'

This is not because instruction doesn't work. It does, sometimes. But people are really looking to read the words of a human, not another guru.

I'm approaching more of my work through this lens now.

I do stuff I enjoy. I show people.

I always have something to share.

If you want to write consistently in a way that's actually fun, where you're not pretending to have all the answers but exploring your own fascinations, Online Writing Alchemy shows you how to make this natural and engaging.

You'll learn how to build your voice by sharing what you're doing, not just telling others what to do, which can burn you out.

Learn more here.

Toodles,

Alex