What Secret Message does Your Writing Reveal?

I spent some time in the last few days studying Steve Pavlina‘s articles. As I’m sure you all know, he’s a phenomenally successful blogger. His book Personal Development for Smart People has just cracked the Amazon top 100 list. And it’s still three months from release! It’s a bestseller in the make for sure.

Steve Pavlina’s work is interesting from many different points of view. His writing is both punchy and elegant; his articles are thoughtful and well researched. Most of all, he’s a shining example of someone who writes with passion.

My interest was piqued by an indefinable quality that shines through all his articles. It’s a key aspect of writing: the subliminal message hidden within words.

The hidden message is one of the main reasons why some writers are successful, and others are not.

Let’s take Steve Pavlina. The message reflected in each article is something like this: Hey, let’s really crank up our life!

What’s the secret message in your writing?

That’s an important question. Because if you know what your message is, you can change it.

I had a look at my blog at Goodlife Zen to find what my secret message is. I think it’s something like this: Let’s sit down together and talk about some fascinating aspects of life. I immediately spotted that the follow-on,  …and see how that knowledge can transform you, is missing. Ouch!

Once you understand what your message is, you can change it.

But that change is fundamental, and you need to approach it with care. Think of that change in terms of sailing: it’s not about repainting your boat, or changing tack. Changing your secret message means changing your destination.

What’s the secret message in your writing?
Do you want to change it? If so, how?

It’s fun to decode the hidden message of successful blogs. How do you see Leo’s secret message at Zen Habits?

Please share your ideas and discoveries about secret messages in the comments.

Note from Mary:

I look forward to my work as Chief Editor of Write to Done. I fell in love with this blog the moment Leo created it. He and I want to develop WTD as a place where we can all grow as writers. It’s like a comfortable roadside inn on the writer’s lonely path. Here we can find companionship, encouragement, and inspiration to become the brilliant writer hidden within!

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I welcome submissions for guest posts. Please email me an outline of your article to writetodone [at] gmail [dot]com.