Writing-Resource

Writing Skills 1 - Writing with Empathy

Empathic people are likable. They seem to understand completely how you are feeling. They know when to commiserate, when to offer a hug, and they know when to shut up and let you deal with things yourself.

What does this have to do with writing blogs for profit? Easy. You need to be liked and therefore you need to write with empathy. This doesn’t mean you have to be sugary sweet. Some of the most likable writers are often angry and rude. But when they are angry, you feel their anger. You understand why they are being rude . Hell, you would be rude in those circumstances too! Because they have touched a nerve in you.

“But I’m not a ‘touchy feely’ kind of guy”, I hear you say.

Let’s think about this for a moment. You signed up for this course, therefore it must have aroused an interest in you. You have already shown your commitment to making money from writing, so I reckon you are quite fired up right now.

How does that feel?

Write down (or type) what that feeling does to you:

• Does it make you happy, expectant, optimistic?
• Does it make you fearful? Perhaps a lot depends on you getting this right?
• How does that expectancy or fear make you feel inside?
• Do you feel ‘heady’? Does the blood rush to your head when you think about all the things you can spend your new found wealth on? Do you find it difficult to sleep because you want to get up and get on with things? Are you on a high about this?
• Are you trembling in fear that this may not work? Do you get a pull on your gut when you anticipate the hard work ahead? Do you find it difficult to sleep wondering whether you will master this course?

Well, use those feelings. Take advantage of them. They are part of you and you can share them with your readers. Write them down and notice what your body is doing when you think of them. Write those feelings down too. Other people feel them too. They will want to share them.

At this point, I could be telling you that there is no need to worry because this course will work for you if you follow it correctly. It will, but that is not the aim here. The point is to use everything you have - good and bad - to your advantage as a writer.

You are a unique human being, but you still share feelings with millions of other people out there. Once you realise that you are well on your way to writing with empathy and getting rewards for your hard work.

In the next lesson I will give you an example of how you can use these skills to develop a tantalising text about an inanimate object. I bet you can hardly wait for that one.