Is Writing Hiding?
Are We All Trying to Make a Cozy World We Control Without Fear?
I used to be far more extroverted in my 20s. I thrived on people and movement, on being in the middle of things.
But through my 30s, 40s, and now 50s, that’s shifted. I’ve grown more introverted — not excessively so, but enough to notice.
I read and reflect more. My thinking runs deeper than it did in my younger years.
And I sometimes wonder — does my compulsion to write come from avoiding the harsher edges of life?
A Haven We Build With Words
For many of us, writing feels like retreating into a cozy room. We choose the furniture, the lighting, the view out of the window.
It’s a world where the messy, unpredictable noise of life quiets down.
Yet if all we ever do is write for ourselves, we risk neglecting the real audience we’re trying to reach.
Writers Must Also Be Marketers
Every writer who wants to earn a living is also a marketer.
You can pour your heart into a perfect world of words, but if nobody reads them, you won’t grow an audience.
Even if you’re writing for “a past version of you” — someone a few steps behind — you’re still writing for someone.
So here are three simple ways to start.
1️⃣ Write For a Specific Reader, Not Just Yourself
Picture one real person. Someone you could help who is living with the exact pain your writing solves.
Then write to that person.
2️⃣ Use Empathy Before Expertise
Instead of proving how much you know, show how much you understand.
Start with their fears and frustrations. Show that you’ve been there too.
3️⃣ Give a Small Win Every Time
In every piece of writing, leave the reader better than you found them.
Whether that’s a useful tip, a shift in perspective or a quick action they can take today.
Small wins build trust. Trust builds loyalty, and loyalty builds your audience.
Writing can be a cozy retreat. But if you want your words to matter — if you want to build an audience — you have to step outside that room and invite people in.
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