Every writer creates in solitude. This is especially true when writers book an airbnb in the middle of nowhere. But still true when writers have creative friendships and rivalries. And true even when writers belong to writing groups, cohorts, and communities.
Every writer ultimately has to make choices on their own. The choices are numerous. From voice to format to content, writers are making decisions with every letter added and omitted from the page.
And this is the truth: every writer is responsible for the impact of what they have written, regardless of whether that impact was intentional or not.
Writers are responsible for their impact.
What was written is what matters, not what was intended.
Yes, it’s a lot to consider. And if you don’t care about your impact, what I have to say isn’t meant for you. We won’t get along. Neither of us will bring value to each other’s lives. The door’s that way.
If you do care, let me introduce you to “human-centered writing.”
The reason 🔗
Human-centered writing is by people for people, to combat alienation and elevate voices who inspire. 🔗
It helps us build bridges to foster connection and belonging across boundaries. It also lifts those building bridges, harnessing their unique abilities and perspectives to lead.
Human-centered writing embraces the paradox that we are all humans with a shared moment in time and space, but we all have our own experiences that have shaped who we are as individuals.
The goal 🔗
Human-centered writing is the pursuit of truth. 🔗
Truth with a lowercase “t” acknowledges the inherent imperfection in storytelling and understanding our own experiences—and it leverages that to build tight-knit communities bound by narrative and the pursuit of more truths.
The prerequisites 🔗
Human-centered writing is fueled by empathy and curiosity, and constrained by time and energy. 🔗
Being human-centered means you are curious about the stories of others. It means you are not only open to understanding someone else’s experience, you also begin to feel the stories of others.
Human-centered writing requires patience and persistence through the process of molding and re-molding stories for intended impact. We recognize the limitations of time and energy, and we believe that considering our impact is worth the investment.
The process 🔗
Human-centered writing emerges only from slow feedback loops that embrace our diverse perspectives. 🔗
These are the fundamental skills we practice: active listening, constructive feedback, provocative questions, and deep reflection. All of these are guided by non-judgment and a respect for the context of the writer and the reader.
We understand those contexts can be shared and at odds, we are willing to hear other perspectives so we can make deliberate decisions in our writing and our impact.
I am growing a community of writers, storytellers, and thought leaders—anyone who wants to embrace the power and responsibility of changing the world.
I want us to help each other bring intention to our impact.
If this resonates, email me!