Writing for Change Sometimes Means Preaching to the Choir
And that’s still okay
There’s an obvious issue with writing for social change. When you’re writing about social justice issues - in the types of publications that publish those types of articles - you’re often doing what we in the UK refer to as preaching to the converted, or as my US friends call it preaching to the choir.
Those attending the church are already believers. Those reading your work already have similar views. You’re not changing any minds here. But that’s actually okay,
What we’re doing, sometimes, is not so much changing minds as inspiring action. And action is most often taken by the choir. They’re the ones who, when presented with solutions, are most likely to actually do something. They’re the ones who will:
Donate money
Volunteer time
Attend a protest
Sign a petition
Write a letter
Lobby a politician
Educate others
Change their own behaviour
As change writers, we’re also often getting our (fairly similar) readers to think just a little bit differently. To understand the nuances, and perhaps rethink long-held beliefs that get in the way of them fully appreciating the problems of a vulnerable group or the action needed on a particular issue.
It’s easier to change the minds of those who think in a similar way to you rather than those who think completely differently.
Or as James Clear puts it:
“Years ago, Ben Casnocha mentioned an idea to me that I haven’t been able to shake: The people who are most likely to change our minds are the ones we agree with on 98 percent of topics.”
That’s why we need to preach to the choir, especially on little-known-about but important topics. And especially when there are solutions that simply require more awareness or mass action.
No big action step today. Just keep this in mind with your next writing piece.
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Some thoughts from others I’ve been enjoying this week
How to be public as a writer (and feel safe in the process) by
Secrets of a Successful First Chapter by
If I Were To Start Over On Medium, Here's Exactly How I'd Do It by
Freelance Writing For Beginners - Get Paid To Write With Elna Cain by
How I Got A Book Deal With The World’s Top Publisher Penguin: The Sexy Story [And The Unsexy One] by
What else I’ve been up to this week
Reading: Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi
Watching: Rings of Power (on Amazon Prime)
Listening to: The Peace in a Pod podcast
This week’s Medium posts
(This has been a slow week on Medium for me. So here are a couple from the archives. Friend links, as always, so you can read for free.)
Five Things to Weave Into Your Daily Life If You Want to Be Truly Happy
New Skills To Learn That Actually Improve Your Brain - According to Science
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Thank you!
I'm so happy you liked my unsexy story ;)