Write of Passage Weekly

Hey writers,

Welcome back to Write of Passage Weekly. Last week, we told you to read what's timeless. Today, we’re talking about what you owe your reader.

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What Do You Owe Your Reader?

Writing is not just communication — it is a covenant with your reader. There is an implicit agreement. As Amor Towles said in his How I Write interview, your reader will invest their precious time, and often their money, to read your work, and as the writer, you must meet them in equal measure. This covenant is about respecting and honoring your reader’s attention. It’s about spending your time and energy to create something that is enriching and worthy of their investment.

When someone reads your work, they embark on a journey through your words. They bring with them their hopes, fears, dreams, and a thirst for something more — be it knowledge, entertainment, or solace. It is your duty as a writer to guide these voyages with integrity, offering a beacon of truth or a fantastical island, as refuge from the vast sea of information that surrounds us. To do anything less would violate the sacred pact, leaving your reader adrift.

To uphold your half of the covenant, you must have a steadfast commitment to authenticity and an unwavering pursuit of excellence. It’s about craftsmanship. It’s about reading the room and adjusting your tone to make yourself legible. This is why the most influential writers are not the ones who say it first or who say it the loudest; they are the ones who communicate it best. Articulating your ideas with laser precision isn’t just the mark of good writing. It’s what makes your writing worth reading.

To uphold your half of the covenant, you also need to have empathy for your reader and the courage to be vulnerable. As David Foster Wallace liked to say, “the reader cannot read your mind.” Your words are most impactful when you project yourself into the mind of your reader as you write. Your authenticity can illuminate the reader’s path to introspection. Your confessions can spark unlikely connections. Your honesty can be the cure to their loneliness. It is about writing truthfully, being willing to expose who you are, and subjecting yourself to the reader’s scrutiny (which is an act of bravery that does not go unnoticed). When you share your full self on the page, you create a profound connection, a shared experience between writer and reader that can bridge worlds, heal wounds, and facilitate reflection.

Excellence and empathy — these are the ingredients that make up your half of the covenant with your reader. It is on the page where you and your reader join hands. So, commit to meeting them halfway. Your reader is trusting you with their attention. Honor that by writing something that enlightens, entertains, and inspires. In the end, the true measure of success in writing isn’t found in Substack badges or Twitter followers, but in the silent nod of a reader who feels seen, understood, and valued because of your words.

How I Write Podcast

Three Principles to Master Storytelling | Shaan Puri

Every year, 25 million people download Shaan’s podcast. Sure, he’s a brilliant entrepreneur, investor, and writer, but there’s one skill in particular that keeps Shaan’s audience coming back for more: storytelling.

In this episode, Shaan reveals every framework he knows for telling stories so well they make your reader go, “Wait, how did they do that?”. And we mean, every framework. You won’t find this in the ol’ self-help aisle. Plus, he shows you exactly how to do it. Shaan and David deconstruct everything from popular movies to business origin stories and viral Twitter threads.

Stories are the #1 way to grab readers’ attention, get them to like you, and ultimately, turn them into fans. And this episode is a masterclass on how to do it.

Listen Now: YouTube | Spotify | Apple

Thank you for reading Write of Passage Weekly. This week, try to project yourself into the mind of your reader.

Happy writing,

The Write of Passage Team

P.S. Scholarship applications are open for the next Bootcamp. If you have great ideas and a burning desire to share them, we want you in the Bootcamp. Scholarships are limited and the competition is rigorous. If you’re interested, apply today.