Are You Writing Intentionally?

This post begins a series, that I feel will be of great value, on effective writing. The tidbits of information shared in this series are relevant for both on and offline writers. Over the next couple of days we will look at what your writing needs to build community interest and eventually, what creates monetization value.

The Spice of Writing

Writing for some of us is a pastime, for some it’s their bread and butter. But what is it that sets those that monetize and those that don’t apart?

Intention. Relevance.

Intention is what makes your writing relevant. Without intention, the interest and knowledge, there is no relevance, interest for others. Basically, you have to want and love what you write if you plan to spark an interest in others. Writing with a purpose, as opposed to just randomly tossing up your thoughts can have a drastic impact on the effectiveness of your writing. Keeping the reader in mind when you write is a perfect way to break this concept down to the simplest factor.

Why do people want to read you? What do you have to share in the conversation that sets you apart from others? Is it relatable?

Take a look at yourself very closely. You read articles on news sites and blogs sites, but why? What is that attracted you to the article in the first place. Secondly, what is that kept you interested enough in it to read the entire piece?

Most likely it was the relatable content, thus their intent with the information was to attract a specific reader and you were that reader. I’m trying not to complicate things, but ultimately look at what you like, what you enjoy, and what you follow and there is naturally a trend that directly relates to the types of mediums you consume information on.

Changing Pace

Assuming your writing fits the aforementioned criteria, you may have built a community of readers that now relates with your identity, with who you are and what you write.

Want to know a quick way to lose value within the community? Changing your goal and taking your writing in a direction you readers did not intend.

Once you’ve established your identity, do not dilute it with unfocused writing that has no purpose. This will confuse your audience, and could possibly cause you to lose some readership. The idea is to stay on topic and have a goal for all of your articles. Chris Brogan reiterates a fundamental concept we should all keep in mind on anything we begin, “start with the end in sight.”

Writers with purposeful articles maintain a readership that is actively involved in discussion. Intentional writing creates this interest because you are writing for the reader, not for yourself.Don’t keep your readers at arms length! Look over your writing, analyze yourself as you write and find yourself a market that responds to you and why you write.