You can’t be Geoff from Accounts and expect a following

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Alex Mathers
May 31, 2025

A friend of mine is trying to build an online audience so he can sell more of his books.

He’s got good ideas and life experiences and is one of the funniest guys I know.

But when I read through his stuff, I feel flat.

I know the guy and his words do not represent him.

It’s like he ran his stuff through the most politically correct version of ChatGPT available.

Totally safe. No personality. Writing just a means to an end.

I am not challenged with his writing, and I feel like I’m reading the words of someone afraid.

Because he is.

He doesn’t want to rock any boats.

He doesn’t like the idea of people disliking his writing.

He’s operating under the false belief that good writing is safe writing.

Nosir.

The irony, of course, is that he ends up pushing everyone away in playing safe and writing ‘nice’.

Nice writing is empty writing.

I used to write that way all the time.

And my engagement never got anywhere.

It wasn’t until I went to a party in my early thirties and met a guy who I found fascinating that my writing took off.

He was one of those guys you either love or hate.

And those who loved him never stopped talking about him after the party.

He was bold, playful, direct when he needed to be, and honest in a way that wasn’t always comfortable.

Let’s call him Pascale.

If you want people to enjoy your writing, you can’t be nice guy Geoff from accounts standing in the corner.

You need to channel your inner Pascale.

This doesn’t mean wearing loud shirts or being obnoxiously shouty.

The cool thing about writing is you CAN be the life of the party without actually being at a party.

People like Pascale say things with integrity - not because they are trying to please everyone, as my writer friend was.

They don’t go out of their way to be rude. They just tell it like it is about the topics that matter to them.

They tell the truth.

And truth is always polarising.

What honest things are you withholding in your pursuit of nice?

Real kindness isn’t being nice. It’s being honest to those who need to hear it.

Writing that separates you from the bland masses needs this from you.

If this resonates with you, and you want closer guidance on how to write stuff that has people gravitate around like those drawn to Party Pascale...

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With an audience, you have options:

Best,

Alex