By “insta-boner,” of course I mean something much more polite, like “oomph.” But who uses the word “oomph” these days? It's completely out of the question. So, I thought I'd go with boner. There we have it, I've officially topped myself in the vulgar department. But, hey, this is how you write for the Internet: you grab people's eyeballs and jiggle 'em around a little bit.
AS WE WERE SAYING, writing something that other humans don't want to vomit all over is an important consideration these days, because as the good lord tells us: CONTENT IS KING. Yes, that's what they say. And you know what? I say that shit, too. I say it in my sleep, I say it in my prayers (just kidding, as if), I say it in my blog posts (which I am never going to stop writing, ever, ever, so you can stop wishing on a vodka-flavored star).
If content is king, then what I'm about to tell you is the king's viagra. Turns out, there's a handy little three-word trick that you can use that will instantly make all of your content swoon-worthy. Are you ready for it? It really is just THREE WORDS. Don't blink, or you might miss 'em.
Ready?
The three words that will give your content an insta-boner are:
You + We + Our
BEHOLD:
There are twenty-four instances of YOU + WE + OUR in this one little instagram post by my dear friend, Jamie Varon. Not coincidentally, she is also kicking ass on the Internet as a writer. She ALWAYS has. Because you know why?
Jamie Varon understands that her writing isn't about her.
Notice, no where in this one post do you see the word, “I.” Nor in this one. Nor this one. Nor this one. Nor the majority of anything that Jamie posts. Because her writing isn't about her experiences; it's about what her experiences mean for the rest of us.
This is the entire point of the Internet, after all: to make connections. To reach across the screen and say, “I see you.” To help lead the way for others; teach them what you know, to give the gift of reflection.
And guess what? When you show up in earnest, it won't just be your writing that gets turned on: it'll be your reader. And dare I say it, but that, friends, is the real climax of your work.