If writing is part of the work you do—whether you're sharing expertise, building thought leadership, or growing an audience—then you're probably familiar with writing that feels like writing.
This type of writing is labored. Careful. Distant. Like something that's been worked over, rather than something worth reading.
This type of writing is autistic. Like autists, many expert writers make their readers work too hard to follow along. Their ideas are interesting and valuable. But they way they write about those ideas force readers to fill in the gaps.
- Why did you say that?
- How does this connect to what we were just discussing?
- Are you talking with me or at me?
The common advice for autistic writers is to "write like you speak."
And that's good advice.
But it's misunderstood by most writers. They hear this advice as a surface-level style tip. So they say "use" instead of "utilize," "but" instead of "however." This misses the point entirely.
Writing the way you speak isn't simply a matter of swapping out words and using short sentences. It comes down to the way you relate to your reader.
So in this video I share 3 writing exercises that solve the problem of autistic writing. These exercises show you how to shift from inward-focused writing that serves the writer to reader-focused writing that creates value for someone else.
These are the same exercises that have helped my clients secure grants, fund startups, and build distinctive online voices.
William Fitzpatrick