Page 81 - WritingMadlyV3

Nicholas Boothman
cise ultimately influenced my writing approach,
helping me connect with readers on a deeper level.
This experience sparked an epiphany: writing to
a friend of a friend could be a game-changer for au-
thors. Imagining you're writing to someone who
doesn't know you personally, but has a connection
to someone you trust, you create a sense of familiar-
ity and intimacy. This helps you strike the right tone
– not too formal, not too casual – and focus on the
substance of your message.
Think about it: when you explain something to a
close friend, you often take shortcuts, assuming
they'll understand the context. But when you're ex-
plaining it to someone who's one degree removed,
you have to provide more background and clarify
your thoughts. This process helps you distill your
ideas, avoid assumptions, and create a clearer narra-
tive. And trust.
Additionally, writing to a friend of a friend elim-
inates the pressure to impress or persuade. You're
not trying to convince someone you're an expert;
you're simply sharing your thoughts and experi-
ences with someone who's interested. This freedom
allows you to be more authentic, vulnerable, and
relatable.
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