How to write vulnerably and relating to your readers
4 - How to Better Connect with your Readers
In this lesson, we'll dive into the art of writing vulnerably to create deeper connections and resonance with your audience.
What Is writing vulnerably?
Writing vulnerably involves tapping into emotions, sharing personal experiences, addressing real pain points, and using language that stirs emotions in your readers.
Writing vulnerably for brands and fiction:
Vulnerable writing can be challenging when writing for brands but comes naturally when writing for yourself or in fiction. However, this doesn't mean that vulnerability doesn't have a place in non-fiction writing, it absolutely has and can help you better connect with your readers. You just need to know how to do it in a way that doesn't interfere with the brand's guidelines or with the delivery of the message.
Effective strategies for vulnerable writing:
To better connect with readers, consider employing the following strategies:
- Emotional vocabulary: Use vivid words to evoke emotions, employing hyperboles to exaggerate feelings and show, not tell, emotions
- Threading personal experiences: Sharing genuine personal experiences makes you relatable and authentic but should be used judiciously
- Addressing real pain points: Understand your audience's challenges and pain points, whether in fiction or non-fiction, and tailor your content to resonate with them
1) The power of emotional vocabulary:
Rather than stating emotions plainly, use expressive language to make readers feel more deeply connected to the narrative.
Here are a few examples of emotional vocabulary:
- Adjectives: appalling, wonderful, magical, and tragic
- Abstract nouns: freedom, pride, justice, love, and terror
- Verbs: destroyed, vindicated, saved, betrayed, and adored
- Emotive adverbs: angrily, defiantly, proudly, and beautifully
2) Threading personal experiences:
Sharing personal experiences can enhance authenticity but should be balanced and relevant to maintain reader engagement.
Drawing from personal experiences in both fiction and non-fiction can add layers of authenticity and captivate readers.
3) Addressing real pain points:
Identify and empathize with your audience's pain points to create content that speaks directly to their needs and challenges. This is another example of why audience research and truly understanding your readers is crucial for your writing to be great.
- In fiction, understanding your demographic can help you craft relatable experiences that resonate with your audience.
- For non-fiction, addressing your potential customers' pain points with targeted solutions for their needs and demographics is key.
Implementing these strategies in your work can lead to higher reader engagement, completion rates, improved conversion rates in business, and loyal readers for your novels.
Take these techniques and start connecting with your readers on a deeper level.
See you in the next module!
Module Reading Material:
For non-fiction writers: