I'll be using Drew's menacing ways...to illustrate a few more ways to think differently when it comes to writing for yourself to get your words seen and consumed by your fans.
Most writers/artists are stuck in the literary friendzone because they're treating their words like precious little snowflakes instead of the weapons they should be.
The thing is, we don't want to be stuck in survival mode. Your readers aren't "looking for content" they're bleeding out, searching for a tourniquet.
Give them that, or watch them flatline.
This isn't your typical "write good content" bullshit sermon.
Your readers are bleeding out and it feels like a battle zone for attention.
They're not casually browsing. They're desperately searching for solutions while their problems are turning their lives into a slaughterhouse.
Here's a down and dirty autopsy of reader psychology:
LEVEL 1: THE HEMORRHAGE They're not just "having a problem."
They're:
Watching their business flatline Seeing their relationships rot from the inside out Watching their dreams die in real-time Drowning in a sea of mediocrity while their competition thrives...
LEVEL 2: THE DESPERATION Every click, every scroll, every search is leaving a trail of blood. It's chum in the waters.
They've:
Burned money on snake oil solutions Wasted years on "expert" advice that failed Lost faith in their own judgment Started believing they're the problem LEVEL
3: THE TOURNIQUET OF TRUTH
This is where you slip into their world, you're a combat medic but with words, ideas and that perfect outcome.
Your content needs to:
Stop the Bleeding IMMEDIATELY Give them a quick win in the first paragraph
Show them you've seen this wound before Provide instant, applicable triage
Stabilise Their Condition Validate their pain without wallowing in it
Map out the path to recovery Show proof of others who've survived
Begin Emergency Treatment Deliver step-by-step survival protocols
Provide field-tested solutions Give them tools they can use while still bleeding...
Although this is getting a little long of a post, you're still gonna need to go grab Ca$hvertising if you want to ground yourself in this concepts I'll be drilling down on...
Until tomorrow, you won't want to miss the next instalment.
Stephen Walker