A friend of mine asked me an amazing question the other day. “What’s your message, Tom?” His question took me back. I didn’t know what to say at first. I started panicking just a little. First, we need context as to why. In case you’re wondering, here’s my process as a blogger..
I have to agree with everything you've said. I think too many online writers get trapped up in the desire to make a dollar that they write garbage they think everyone wants to hear. We need to write stuff that people don't know they want to hear until they hear it and relate to it on a visceral level.
Case in point: A few years ago, after a tragic loss I began writing about grief and loss on Medium. That content was my highest performing material EVER in my 4 years on Medium.
I love the thesis statement analogy. Maybe this is an exercise that everyone should run from time to time, not just writers. But then what if you have multiple messages? That was my first response to Gary Keller's "The One Thing". My eventual conclusion - the thing that connects your multiple 'one things' IS your one thing. Maybe that applies here. Either way, I'm adding your What's Your Message idea to my list of lenses. Thanks for that!
My message is that I'm a mess. The world's a mess. Everyone is a mess. But! We have to keep fighting for ourselves, the world, and each other. Every goddamn day.
Loved this. My readers actually helped me understand my message as they tend to be much more succinct when they email me to say thanks for helping them do X (useful thing) without having to do Y (hard thing that’s stopped them before). Without those emails I’d struggle to be able to summarize my message (though this article helps!) 😃
Inspiration, Truth, Integrity, Courage. These are my focus. Like Tom, I write what I feel about what I see and encourage people to have the integrity to face the truth, and the courage to address it as they see fit.
We all have power and impact on the world around us, but have largely been convinced we don't and to keep our heads down so we don't get singled out. Use discretion, always, but take a chance every chance you get. Also know that the changes you make in yourself have the greatest affect on the world around you.
>The thing that dead worlds don’t understand and living worlds do is this: the thing that scares them more more than anything else in the world is the thought of men simply not caring. A hungry man can be satiated, an angry man can be placated, but a man who doesn't care whether you live or die, who lives his life one day after the other, eating what he wishes, sleeping when he wants, interacting with the world only in the manner of his choosing in utter disregard for anyone or their traditions; that man is a thing so terrifying to them they dare not even speak of it.
>In a healthy, real world - that is, the highest of high fantasies, helping yourself also helps those around you, so there isn’t a conflict. And so, when that help would come at a cost, men will pay that cost, instead of telling you what you can do with that order.
Naturally, such a message will never be popular, and I'd be concerned if it were. But it resonates with everyone it needs to, while the others are continually shocked by the most obvious and predictable events that were seen coming months or even years in advance... but they didn't listen.
I have to agree with everything you've said. I think too many online writers get trapped up in the desire to make a dollar that they write garbage they think everyone wants to hear. We need to write stuff that people don't know they want to hear until they hear it and relate to it on a visceral level.
Case in point: A few years ago, after a tragic loss I began writing about grief and loss on Medium. That content was my highest performing material EVER in my 4 years on Medium.
I love the thesis statement analogy. Maybe this is an exercise that everyone should run from time to time, not just writers. But then what if you have multiple messages? That was my first response to Gary Keller's "The One Thing". My eventual conclusion - the thing that connects your multiple 'one things' IS your one thing. Maybe that applies here. Either way, I'm adding your What's Your Message idea to my list of lenses. Thanks for that!
My message is that I'm a mess. The world's a mess. Everyone is a mess. But! We have to keep fighting for ourselves, the world, and each other. Every goddamn day.
Brilliant 3 step process. Simple. I can actually remember that. Appreciate your work Tom, thanks
Loved this. My readers actually helped me understand my message as they tend to be much more succinct when they email me to say thanks for helping them do X (useful thing) without having to do Y (hard thing that’s stopped them before). Without those emails I’d struggle to be able to summarize my message (though this article helps!) 😃
Inspiration, Truth, Integrity, Courage. These are my focus. Like Tom, I write what I feel about what I see and encourage people to have the integrity to face the truth, and the courage to address it as they see fit.
We all have power and impact on the world around us, but have largely been convinced we don't and to keep our heads down so we don't get singled out. Use discretion, always, but take a chance every chance you get. Also know that the changes you make in yourself have the greatest affect on the world around you.
My message is something like this:
>The thing that dead worlds don’t understand and living worlds do is this: the thing that scares them more more than anything else in the world is the thought of men simply not caring. A hungry man can be satiated, an angry man can be placated, but a man who doesn't care whether you live or die, who lives his life one day after the other, eating what he wishes, sleeping when he wants, interacting with the world only in the manner of his choosing in utter disregard for anyone or their traditions; that man is a thing so terrifying to them they dare not even speak of it.
https://shinichihaku.substack.com/publish/post/143125754
https://shinichihaku.substack.com/p/soy-morality-is-toxic-and-dangerous
>In a healthy, real world - that is, the highest of high fantasies, helping yourself also helps those around you, so there isn’t a conflict. And so, when that help would come at a cost, men will pay that cost, instead of telling you what you can do with that order.
Naturally, such a message will never be popular, and I'd be concerned if it were. But it resonates with everyone it needs to, while the others are continually shocked by the most obvious and predictable events that were seen coming months or even years in advance... but they didn't listen.
Really encouraging content. Thanks for this share. Your writing style galvanises us :)