Zero care

With some writing you need to care less. LinkedIn posts are a good example. I do my best to serve you, my reader, with things I think you’ll find valuable. But in those posts there’s also a touch of me not giving a damn.

A joke, a throwaway comment, a post written back to front, or upside down. I once added a completely pointless 17-slide carousel to a text post.

It’s never at your expense, it’s often to entertain, or bring levity to the situation. But I’m also embracing being an entertainer, knowing that some of you won’t find it amusing, and will think I’m an idiot.

I can’t care because then my writing wouldn’t be from me, it would be from a diluted version of me. The writer should serve the reader, but not be a slave to them.

As much as you shouldn’t give a damn, be damn careful. I’m not suggesting all companies make a joke above the fold on a landing page, because “who gives a f*ck!!”. The user just quickly needs to know what you’re selling, is it for them, and how it improves their life. They aren’t there to be entertained.

While you need to think about your reader, and figure out what’s important to them, you need to balance it with a touch of not giving a damn, when not giving a damn is appropriate.

Give thought to not losing your reader. Care about making things clear and logical. Take steps not to bore them. Don’t make them work too hard, and give them the thing they came looking for, but some of the best writing comes from writers who are clearly having fun, writing, somewhat, for themselves.

Be funny. If it amuses you it’s likely that others will appreciate it too. We're more alike than we care to admit. And if some people don’t appreciate it, do you really care? No comments on your article? Write another. No retweets? Tweet again. No one laughed at your joke? Crack more.

Care about the craft of writing enough to make your meaning clear but don’t give a damn whether your reader likes you, or what you have to say.