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Think about your favorite writers and try to remember one mutual skill they have.
When I watch interviews and talks with George RR Martin, Stephen King, and other top writers, something about them fascinates me. Now I know what that is. They have a good understanding of human psychology. They understand our fears, wants, and desires.
In talks and interviews, psychology helps them communicate better. Most of them are excellent communicators. And with their books, psychology helps them write better. It enriches their books.
It can make your books, your articles, and the copy you write better too. It can make you a better writer. Here’s how:
Where Psychology Helps You in Writing
Psychology, according to Wikipedia, is the science of mind and behavior.
It examines why we act, do, or say what we say, do, and act. It looks for patterns in our behavior, passing further than what we utter and examining our body language. It seeks further than our conscious mind to our subconscious.
I was always fascinated with psychology because it made me understand a lot about us. When you know how people act and think, you’ll have a great advantage. Not only in life but also career-wise, especially if what you do involves writing and storytelling. And not just in writing fiction, but can even be more so in copywriting and blogging for an audience. Let me explain:
1. Communicating
World-renowned investor Warren Buffet once stated,
“If you can’t communicate and talk to other people and get across your ideas, you’re giving up your potential.”
Psychology helps you communicate better with your reader. It helps you get somewhat of an understanding of their thought process. It helps you anticipate the reader’s objections and questions.
And when you time the reader’s objection or thought process, they will feel it. And yeah, they might be afraid that you can read their minds. But who cares, as long as you’re communicating better.
When you communicate better through the written word, your work will be sharper. That’s especially helpful when writing guides, product descriptions, and other copy. If your writing is unclear, most readers will click away as fast as their little fingers allow it.
2. Relating
The top writers know how to relate to us. They also know how to make the characters they create relatable to us if they write fiction.
What writer doesn’t love hearing when an author mentions their struggles with their writing craft and career? A fake writer for sure.
Recently, I read a story on Medium, and the story started with something along the lines of, “I hate cold pitching.”
Guess what? I read the whole story, even though most of the information in it was stuff I already knew. That opening line hocked me pretty darn well. Why? Because it relates to my struggles as a freelancer. I hate sending hundreds of cold pitches to get clients too.
In her article about the relationship between psychology and writing, Joslyn Chase wrote:
“When you make a connection like that with your reader, the effects can linger long after the book is closed. A knowledge of psychology can help you do that.”
That also works in articles, copy, and probably any other form of writing. Relate to the reader, and the reader will appreciate you.
How to Learn the Basics of Psychology
One of the rules of advertising is that people buy out of emotion. When you learn the basics of psychology, you’ll be able to push all the right buttons on your reader.
It matters not what type of writing you do, you always have to sell. Embrace it and learn how to make the best of it. The basics of psychology are essential when it comes to turning words into banks papers. Here’s how to learn to improve your psychology skills:
1. Observation
In The Psychology Workbook for Writers, Darian Smith wrote:
“Writers—the good ones anyway—are keen observers of human nature and they capture it in their characters and storytelling.”
In her article, which was published in The Write Practice blog, Joslyn Chase also advised:
“People watching is the writer’s research. Make a habit of observing those around you and noting their behavior.”
While you don’t have to note people's behaviors, as Chase suggested, you still need to practice observation. Not just with people, but observe everything around you.
Observe the politics of your country and the international community. And no, I’m not suggesting you spend 25 hours a day consuming news and political debates. Just have an idea of what’s going on, listen to more than one side, and observe the opinions of the people. You can note down interesting patterns and then try to form connections and understand why x opinion is popular.
Observe yourself. Learn what makes you procrastinate on working out and try to find patterns in your behavior. Observe your thoughts, actions, and feelings.
Sometimes, when a certain feeling hits us, we can’t recognize its source. When you better understand your mind and behavior, it will be much easier to identify the source. Psychology can help you identify the sources of your depression, anxiety, procrastination, constant anger, and more.
Besides becoming a better writer, psychology can help you master yourself.
2. Reading
One of the best ways I’ve developed my understating of psychology is through reading.
When reading another person’s thought process, I often stop and think to observe the author’s ideas. Books invite us to the minds of their authors, allowing us to study and observe their unique minds. And psychology, after all, is the study of mind and behavior.
Read many good books and observe the world around you. This will enhance your understanding of psychology, making you a better writer.
Until next time,
Mohammed