Reader trust
You can haz it, as we’d say in earlier internet times
Our culture rewards those who speak in soundbites, but almost everything worth writing about defies reduction. How do you decide what’s worth explaining?
Too often, as writers, we are trained to imagine a reader who is perpetually bored, cynical, or scrolling. And, I do think that we have to earn our reader’s attention with every word; nobody owes us their attention and it, of course, is not freely given.
But what happens if you imagine a reader who is thoughtful, alert, and deeply curious? What about one who is completely ready to hear your full message? Someone who has been waiting for someone to say exactly what you’re ready to say?
Today, write that message for your reader. Remember you must earn and re-earn their attention, and also trust them with something complex. Let’s write into that.
