12 Psychological Rules for Writing That You Need to Know: Part I
Leandre Larouche
Book & Content Coach + Ghostwriter for Coaches, Experts, and Leaders | ?? Author | Writing Architect ??? | Writing Can Be Hard. I Make it Easy with The Architecture of Writing.
This is Part I in a 2-post series on the psychological rules of writing.
Stay tuned for Part II.
This statement may enrage some fellow writers, but writing has more to do with psychology than it has to do with language.
Needless to say, writing can't happen without language. But language is only half the battle. (Maybe even less!)
It's true. People don't read books and pieces of content because the words they contain are pretty. They read them because, for one reason or another, they feel psychologically compelled.
In university, I studied English literature and professional writing. Don't get me wrong, I loved every minute I spent taking that degree. I learned a lot of things, many of which I still use daily. But there's something that degree didn't teach me—or at least it greatly understated its importance.
And that, indeed, is psychology.
In this 2-post series, I am sharing 12 psychological rules you need to remember. Whether you're writing a book, blog articles, or even social media posts, these rules will increase interest in your writing. This first post will outline and detail the first six rules.
I've learned these rules over a decade of professional writing and studying the world. These rules do not come from my academic studies; they come from my own observations and experiments.
Since 2016, I have written, revised, or edited over 15 million words across genres and disciplines. (That's only what my Grammarly account has tracked.)
If you're ready, let's dive right in!
1. People are desensitized. Use strong emotions to start your writing.
Potent emotions are the best way to start any piece of writing.
For instance, start with a heart-wrenching anecdote of personal loss or a triumphant story of overcoming adversity.
But it doesn't always have to be a paragraph or even a sentence.
Sometimes a word suffices. For example, the word "bloody" can evoke strong emotions by itself.
This approach not only helps hook readers from the start but also creates an immediate emotional bond with them.
2. People are emotional. The suffering of one in detail > the suffering of millions in statistics.
You can give the number of Americans affected by cancer each year...
... Or you can narrate the journey of a single cancer survivor, detailing how devastated the family was upon hearing the news and narrating their daily victories and losses.
Which one do you think will be the most impactful?
The reality is that numbers are unemotional, and good writing requires emotions.
Numbers are helpful to back up arguments, but they only work once an emotional connection exists.
3. People are naturally optimistic. Use your story and successes to inspire others.
Stories are powerful because they allow people to see themselves in them.
You can use this fact to your advantage by sharing your own journey of overcoming obstacles and achieving goals.
Success stories not only show the potential for success in a field of endeavor, but they also remind readers that struggling is not unique to them.
Success stories go a long way!
4. People enjoy living vicariously. Make them live a life they don’t live.
If you have a little bit of narcissism in you, you'll like this one!
It is a lot of fun for readers to catch a glimpse into experiences or lifestyles they haven't encountered themselves.
This rule's especially powerful if you write about a topic where you are more advanced than your audience (as is often the case).
Write about navigating the high seas or the intricacies of living in a remote, exotic location. These narratives allow readers to escape their reality and experience the thrill and novelty of a life unexplored.
5. People love to compare themselves. Share your mistakes; they make you relatable.?
If the last rule was a little narcissistic, this one might be a little perverse.
Oh, well.
Sharing personal failures makes you relatable to your readers. Sometimes, it even makes readers feel better about themselves.
When you talk about failures or missteps you made in your career, you allow readers to think, "Oh, maybe I don't have it so bad after all." That approach is wildly powerful.
For example, authors often talk about how many publishers rejected them before finally getting a book deal. Entrepreneurs often share how many ventures failed before having their big breakthroughs.
People love to compare themselves. Why not take advantage of it?
6. People understand words literally. Choose your words carefully.
This one can be difficult to understand, but it is actually simple.
Words have both a literal and a connotation. While the literal meaning refers to words' actual definitions, connotation refers to the emotion evoked by a particular word.
For example, "I don't want you to fail" and "I want you to succeed" mean the same thing. Because the word "not" precedes the word "fail," the phrase "not fail" literally means the same thing as "succeed."
But which one feels more encouraging?
The word "fail" has a negative connotation. There's no way around it. If we want our writing to feel positive, we should say, "I want you to succeed."
That said, in certain contexts, saying "I don't want you to fail" may be appropriate.
In Closing: Make Sure You Use the Rules
The first six rules in the 12 Psychological Rules for Writing are a great way to start making your writing more compelling. But there is more.
I decided to spread this list across two posts to make sure you can process and learn from each rule as much as possible. Keep an eye on this newsletter for 6 more rules.
While all different, these rules all show, in one way or another, the importance of emotional connection, clarity, and authenticity in our narratives.
Whether it's leveraging strong emotions, painting vivid individual stories, or ensuring simplicity and humor in our language, these principles are the pillars upon which compelling writing is built.
If you want to copy and paste the list to your notes, here's the short version:
Remember, these rules are gateways to deeper engagement with your readers. Use them, and you will be rewarded.
Between now and the next newsletter issue, make sure to:
A) Implement these rules in your writing;
B) Review some of your past writing to identify missed opportunities;
C) Study other people's writing to see how they utilize these rules.
Until next time,
Leandre with Trivium Writing