How do you write what people actually want to read?
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By Michelle Allen
If I’m being honest, I ask myself this question all the time.
What do people actually want to read? What would make someone stop scrolling, click a link, or even buy a book?
The truth is, I don’t really know.
Maybe that’s part of why I’ve never seriously pursued writing beyond my blog and publishing my work. Somewhere in the back of my mind, there’s always that nagging voice asking: Is this good enough? Would anyone even want to read it?
For a long time, I thought successful writers must have some secret formula. Maybe they knew exactly what audiences wanted, and they simply delivered it. But the more I read stories from authors, bloggers, and creators, the more I realize that most of them started the same way most of us do: with something they felt compelled to say.
The posts that resonate most with readers are rarely the ones written to please everyone. They’re often the ones written from a place of honesty.
When I look back at the pieces I’ve shared that sparked the most conversations, they weren’t perfect. They weren’t polished masterpieces. They were simply real. They came from my experiences, my challenges, my victories, and sometimes my doubts.
Including this one.
Maybe the better question isn’t, “How do you write what people want to read?”
Maybe it’s, “How do you find the courage to write what your heart wants to say?”
I’m still working on the answer.
I still wonder if my words are enough. I still question whether anyone would buy a book written by someone like me. But every time I sit down and write anyway, I discover something important: writing doesn’t have to begin with confidence. Sometimes it begins with courage.
I’ve spent so much of my life planning, preparing, and trying to get things right. Writing asks something different of me. It asks me to be vulnerable. To trust that my story matters, even if it’s only meaningful to one person.
And maybe that’s enough.
Maybe the stories we are most afraid to tell are the very stories someone else needs to hear.
So for now, I’m going to keep writing. Not because I’m certain people want to read it, but because these are the thoughts on my heart. These are the experiences that have shaped me. These are the lessons I’m still learning.
If others connect with them, that’s wonderful.
If not, at least I was brave enough to tell the truth.
And perhaps that’s where every great piece of writing begins.
Question for reflection: Do you write, share, or create things for yourself first, or do you focus on what others want? How do you find the balance?
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