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10 ways I introduce vulnerability into my writing without being a wet towel
(and why it’s worth doing)
I used to think vulnerability meant sharing every messy detail of my life.
But when I saw most people attempting to be vulnerable through their writing, it just seemed forced and quite cringe.
Real vulnerability isn’t about bleeding all over the page looking for sympathy.
It’s about showing your readers that change is possible because you’ve been where they are.
Being vulnerable in the right way requires some awareness. But when you can pull it off well, you will build a tribe of readers who stick to you like glue.
Here’s how to do it without becoming a walking therapy session:
1. Share the lesson, not the wound.
Don’t just write: ‘I was devastated when my business failed, and I cried for days.’
Write: ‘Losing my first business taught me that my work wasn’t my identity. It took me three months to believe it, but I got there.’
The first makes readers feel sorry for you.
The second shows them a path forward.
