What’s on your mind?

But what do I write?

It’s a common conundrum. In my last blog we spoke about how to get into the discipline of writing and that doing something (anything) every day is the cornerstone for building your writing muscle.

Having tackled ‘how?’, the question which often comes winging our way is “What do I write about?”

To answer what? start with who?

All writing – be it fiction or non-fiction, long, short or tall – starts in the same place.

In fact, when it comes to giving writing advice, it’s the same place that I always begin.

Who is your audience?

Get to know them before you do anything else.

Ask yourself who you’re writing for. Is it a customer? A friend? A colleague?

Then, consider what they are going to be interested in. You see, it’s a human instinct (going right back into primal times) for everyone to be looking for what benefits them in any situation. And the written word is no different.

Why should I read this?

By understanding what’s of most interest to your ideal audience, you’ll be able to write in a way that catches their attention.

Fiction is an excellent case in point – every fiction reader’s desire is ‘entertain me!’ They want to be engaged and immersed quickly and know whether this book is for them. Take this classic case in point:

“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.”

No prizes for spotting the source – it’s one of the best-known openings in classical literature.

And, you know what? You will know within 10 seconds of opening Pride and Prejudice if it’s for you. If you’re looking for romance and some social comedy, it’s all there in that first line. Jane Austin knew her stuff (or maybe she read my blogs!!!).

The nature of the writing is immaterial

The same principle applies in every form of writing.

• Writing a business report? Start with your most compelling argument (Barbara Minto calls it the Governing thought) 
• Giving a 60-second elevator pitch? Start with how you can help (not your name – no one will remember it unless they have a good reason to make a mental note)
• Working on your CV? Put relevant skills front and centre. Hiding them on page 3 behind the address and some ancient qualifications simply makes it hard for the poor screening team to work out why to call you for an interview.

It’s the golden rule of all writing: know your audience and lead with something that’s on their mind. Once you have their attention, you can tell them anything else you want them to remember.

Your mission, should you choose to accept it

For businesspeople writing for a website or blog, working out what’s on the customer’s mind is a straightforward task (it is, really!). And that’s your task for this blog:

Write down a list of the questions you’re most frequently asked by prospects and customers.

If they ask the question, it must be on their mind, and that gives you all the clues you need to develop your golden content.