Tips for writing for change

This one is a biggie

Write about a broken system. That doesn’t necessarily mean an obvious one like, say, the economic or healthcare system, but rather a system, large or small, that is currently failing you. (Though, if it is one of those and you’re feeling like biting off that big hunk of writing, by all means, go for it and I will applaud myself silly on your behalf.)

You might start by brainstorming a little list of broken systems to get you thinking creatively about it. But, you might also want to think about this: what systems are broken in your particular purview? Put another way, what system is in need of repair that you have the credibility to tackle? Because that, friend, is one of the biggest keys to persuasive writing. I might have a strong opinion about, say, organ donation, but I have neither donated an organ nor received one, I don’t work in that field, and, in fact, I only know three people who have been or currently are impacted by organ donation that I’m aware of. So, it’s not my lane. Having a strong opinion about something and being able to credible argue for it are two different things, and we often conflate passion with credibility and that really only results in yet another hot take.

But, what we can do is think about what we can credibly talk about due to our life experiences and our professional credibility and exert influence in that way, very much in the lane in which we can each be most impactful.

Mind you, imposter syndrome is going to try to fight you and make you think you don’t have any credibility to talk about anything. But, it’s bullshit. Just about everyone has the ability to speak to something with authority and credibility. I really believe that and I have never once found a person who could convince me otherwise.

So, once you land on what to write about, lay out your argument for why said system is broken (and do so succinctly), refer to some kind of data-based evidence for why it’s broken, and conclude with what should be done about it.

You have yourself an opinion piece. Go pitch it and publish that sucker. Opinion pieces (op-eds for short) aren’t just pontificating (especially since you put in a specific and doable solution in the conclusion) and often serve as gates in which we pass though and start conversations, build movements, write books, make films, run for office, boost professional credibility and visibility and so on.