We Write to Inform

Whew! 

Anyone else feeling a ton of relief right about now?

I don't know about you, but I'm not aspiring to be the 21st century Shakespeare. I mean, I enjoy his plays. I respect the man who wrote dozens of them along with even more poems, essays, and the like but...

Who wants to be Shakespeare these days?

Seriously.

All those “methinks” and “wherefore art thous” and well, production pressure are just too much. 

Plus there’s no emoji for methinks anyway so, duh?!

Here's a Much Better Idea

Ditch the Shakespeare pressure unleashed on you in high school and think about this instead.

When you write anything—a social post, an essay, an annual report, a contract, a book—it doesn't have to be hard.

Start with this question:

Are you aware of why you are writing?

Is it because you have “a sincere desire to inform” as the Oracle of Omaha suggests?

Or is something else driving you to put pen to paper or fingers to keyboard?

Here are some common reasons you might write in 2021:

-To announce your new job
-To promote an upcoming event, product launch, or service offering
-To attract new people to your network
-To contribute your ideas to an emerging or existing conversation
-To stir the pot, so to speak

Behind each of these reasons is a desire to inform your audience about something.

Is that desire sincere? 

I like adding this qualifier into the mix.

Makes me pause and really think twice before publishing me missives.

Even if what you write is funny or reflective or absurd or poetic, know that it will most likely be informational first.

The rest, as they say, is a bonus.

Nothing will come of nothing, after all.