I recently wrote an article that focuses on my sexual assault story. This piece is currently the most successful article I’ve written on Medium. The story is published on P.S. I Love You, is an editor’s pick, and is curated in the topics of Relationships and Sexuality.
When the article started doing well, I wondered why this was the case. I had written about relationships before, I had written in this style before, and I had put an average amount of time editing the piece before submission. After some thought, I realized the unique characteristic of this article is that it’s commendably vulnerable.
My eyes were teary throughout the duration of writing the piece. When I submitted my draft, I had heart palpitations for half an hour. When I thought about my friends and family reading the article, I had a perfect mix of excitement and fear flowing through my veins. These are the reasons why I knew this article was written with vulnerability.
After seeing how well this piece has done, and how empowered I feel, I would recommend writing with vulnerability to anyone. Writing with your full heart and soul. Writing about topics that are close to home and have been buried deep inside of you for years. Sharing your ideas though they may be controversial or may cause the ones you love to think about you differently. There are multiple benefits to being vulnerable when you write, here are two of them.
Relatability
The quality of being easy to understand or feel sympathy for
When you write openly and honestly about your experiences, there’s a high likelihood that readers will be able to understand you. The more you put on the table, the more details become available for others to connect with.
Though it’s daunting, being relatable is a key component of quality writing nowadays. That one extra word you include or that additional explanation, can trigger a memory or feeling in your reader’s mind, motivating them to become more deeply engaged with your piece.
If I had left out how I truly felt inside when I was assaulted, or not explained the specifics of how it impacted me, other assault survivors would have felt less inclined to comment their stories undermine.
Virality
The unfortunate truth about content consumption is that humans are more likely to read articles that are personalized and ‘juicy’ versus articles that are impersonal and strictly scientific.
Imagine yourself back in university, which article would you prefer to read: “What I Learned From Getting Drunk and Waking Up in a Wendy’s Parking Lot”, or “A Scientific Analysis of The Correlation Between Memory Loss and Heavy Alcohol Consumption”. Though both articles focus on alcohol consumption and its affects on memory, many would prefer to read the first option because it sounds exciting and risky. It sounds readable.
This notion is dependent on your audience. I’m not saying you should write with vulnerability for your final law paper, “Is Global Warming Real?”. That article needs to be strictly factual and professional. You will notice, however, popular stories on sites like Medium are majorly personal essays. Even if these pieces are educational and factual, they hold a significant amount of vulnerable insight as well.
The takeaway of this article is to not be afraid to write outside of your comfort zone. From personal experience, I can tell you that it’s worth it. Vulnerable work has great potential and that’s a scientific fact!
However, practicing this skill isn’t easy. Take your time to think about ideas that you’re passionate about and write when you’re ready! Know that there’s no obligation for you to submit or publish your vulnerable work, it’s just as satisfying to simply remove the weight of your thoughts and feelings off of your mind and body.
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Previously published on “Change Becomes You”, a Medium publication.
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Photo credit: Roberto Nickson on Unsplash