👋 Welcome to the 1st edition of The Creator Letters.

My personal letters to you, where I dive deep into writing, creating, and living the ‘good life’.

I have two goals for this newsletter. First, is for it to feel like a letter from a friend:

• Witty

• Personal

• Binge-worthy

Second, is for it to be packed with juicy nuggets:

• Engaging stories

• Actionable tips

• Memorable

Each Sunday, I’ll dive deep into my personal philosophies. Raw, untapped, 16-year-old musings haha.

Sound fair enough? Yeah? Well, then let’s get started.

What’s good! What’s happening? Jay here.

Just finished working out and listening to a banger playlist.

The vibes are good. Ideas are flowing. Let’s get it!

So earlier today, I took a personality test.

And it felt kinda weird. Kinda like I was naked…

Lemme explain:

You see, as I was reading my test results and it was labeling who I was…

I felt unusually understood.

It felt like they were talking directly to me.

Kinda like they were staring straight through my soul.

Weird right?

Anyway, I think you know where I’m going with this.

You don’t? Well, here’s what I mean…

That feeling of being unusually understood…

…Is the exact same feeling you want your readers to feel when they read your writing.

Basically, you want your readers to feel as understood as a personality test’s results haha.

But in all seriousness…

Your goal as a writer is to create an environment where your reader feels like they’re talking to a friend.

It’s a conversation, not a sales pitch.

And when you can bring readers into your world…

When you can create that positive environment…

That’s when you can influence meaningful change.

That’s when you can convince, compel, and convert.

That’s when you can turn followers into friends and friends into loyal fans.

So how do you create a positive environment?

It comes down to one skill:

Empathy.

Here’s how to empathize with your readers:

Step 1: Take Polls

The best way to understand your audience? Ask them.

I’m serious, ask them.

Take a poll and ask them for feedback. It can be about anything.

• Favorite movies/TV shows?

• Obstacles with writing?

• What are their goals?

Here are a few polls I took recently:

…And the best part? People love sharing their opinions.

When in doubt, ask.

Step 2: Use Micro-commitments

Micro-commitments are words or phrases that get the reader to say “yes”.

Here are a few examples:

• Got it? —> Yes

• You with me? —> Yes

• Understand? —> Yes

• Make sense? —> Yes

• Not bad, eh? —> Yes

• Can you imagine that? —> Yes

• Do you understand what I’m saying? —> Yes

The more yeses you get, the better.

Do you catch what I’m throwin’?

h/t: @andrewWriteCopy

Step 3: Put Yourself In The Reader’s Shoes

I know, I know, it sounds cliché, but it truly is the best way to understand your readers.

As you edit and go through your writing, put yourself in your reader’s shoes.

• Which part was confusing?

• When did I get bored?

• What did I learn?

Remember, no one cares about what you can do. They care what you can do FOR THEM.

Make sense? Awesome. Now onto my favorite tip…

Step 4: Read Your Writing Out Loud

Out loud? Like out loud, out loud? Yes, out loud, out loud.

But why?

Because when people read your writing, they aren’t just reading the words on the screen…

They’re talking to themselves internally (just like what you’re doing right now).

And if your writing doesn’t flow when spoken out loud…

Then it won’t make sense in your reader’s head.

Kapish?

Talk soon,

Jay "INTJ" Yang

P.S. if you wanna test your personality test, go to 16personalities.com it’s a pretty cool website and takes less than 10 minutes to complete (not sponsored).