avatarKristi Keller

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How to Shake Your Readers Out of a Coma

Do this to keep your articles boiling over with hype for years after you’ve written them

Photo by Pim Chu on Unsplash

Although my spotlight shines brightly on travel writing, what I’m about to share applies to all writing, regardless of genre. Nothing is worse than seeing words you’ve lovingly slaved over (with a bottle of vodka as your trusty sidekick), be ignored.

But exactly how can you make sure your words are punching readers in the face enough to force them to wake up and take action?

Whether the action you’d like them to take is liking, clapping, commenting, sharing, or getting into an argument with their mother-in-law over it, you need to figure out how to shake readers out of a word-induced coma without the use of a cold bucket of water.

You must insist, through Jedi mind control, that they not skim through your work and move on to the next hopeful in line.

Wouldn’t it be incredible if you could write a piece of work that people will comment on for nine whole years?

I didn’t just pick the number nine out of a hat, I actually achieved it. I love saying that because it makes me credible. I’m not just throwing around invented tips I’ve never tried before.

The only way to get the people to stop paying attention to my work nine years later was to take down the entire website it was written on.

But make no mistake, I’ve also replicated this exact scenario here on Medium with articles written under an alternate profile. The only difference is that I haven’t been on Medium for nine years. But that doesn’t mean I haven’t got articles with 150+ comments accumulated in less than a year.

So, exactly what is this strong-arm tactic I’m referring to?

You need to stop writing what you think will please the masses and do the opposite.

Be fearless. Be the dangerous person in the room. Have opinions that differ from the crowd. Refuse to be the sellout for a minute. (For the love of peanut butter by the spoonful, PLEASE refuse to be the sellout!)

You need to be unafraid to ruffle all the feathers and go be a damn peacock for a hot minute.

Here’s how I did it

I used to get annoyed that Anthony Bourdain called his travel show, Parts Unknown, because the parts he showcased weren’t unknown at all.

I guess I was just jealous he had his own TV show. It irked me that he would highlight things I could easily find on Google, because it wasn’t different.

He reminded me of that saying, “Be unique, just like everyone else.”

Everyone’s travel blogs seem to be the same.

This is the exact article I published on my travel blog in 2010 and the comments ranged from amazement to admiration to downright disgust. Feedback was a real mixed bag from locals and foreigners alike, and I found it genuinely intriguing since I wasn’t sure how the story would be received.

What was MOST intriguing though, is that the comments (and arguments) took on a life of their own. The original post was written in 2010 and the latest comment came in 2019….a full nine years later.

See, Google is good for other things too.

Following are a few of the hundreds of snippets left by readers:

“This is just the kind of experience I want on my vacations, this is the reason I travel. To walk in other cultures shoes. You are blessed and doing a wonderful thing Kristi!”

“This is exactly what people from the US can’t understand. How another culture can have all the riches of life yet have a “poor” life. We all should experience something like this at least once in our lives. To walk in others shoes and truly live life! Your story made me smile, cry and feel blessed.”

“Superb, I love reading this kind stuff. It’s brilliant how people live in other places isn’t it? If the world wasn’t such a greedy place most of us would be happy bathing in a tin.”

“It is great that you saw this part of Jamaica — not great that this exists though. I know Jamaica has its big problems not only with poverty, but with drugs and gun crime so it is probably dangerous to go out into the communities like this.”

Then there were the major downers such as this one:

“You know something, this is just disgusting. I cant believe they invited a tourist to somewhere looking like this, are they crazy? I live in Spanish Town and I know there are places like this here. Its a good thing I don’t live anywhere near them.”

In response to that comment came this one:

“You have no right to speak these words that I have just seen! How can you say that they were ‘disgusting’ for inviting a tourist to where they are from? They were simply showing her how they live! The people are her friends so why wouldn’t she go there? I'm sure if she felt uncomfortable, they would take her out of there! There is a lot of crime all over the world, not just Jamaica! Maybe you should take a look around where you come from and you might be surprised!”

And this one:

“It just shows that people like yourself really have a very, very VERY basic outlook on life! Next time please do exercise your brain before typing, the only people in my opinion that cause the world that we live in to become so greedy and unjustified are people that are very narrow minded, with far too much money and time on their hands. Spread the love not the venom.”

My blog post basically turned into the Facebook we all know and hate. The Facebook where people love to step onto a soapbox and crap on each other.

And it was glorious!

Now THAT….is how you do “parts unknown.” Does anyone even remember where Anthony Bourdain visited in Jamaica?

How does this translate directly to you?

I’m sure none of that travel garble means a thing to the majority of you. And I’m certainly not saying you should strap on a bulletproof vest and head to the ghettos of a third-world country just to get noticed.

What I am saying is that nobody ever got paid top dollar to play it safe. People get paid top dollar for being the most ‘dangerous’ person in the room.

Resist the urge to shy away from controversy. Resist the urge to stay in your own lane and stay agreeable, because that’s what they’re expecting of you.

When people search travel blogs they’re probably not searching for, “How to get lost in the Jamaican ghetto.” They’re likely looking for Montego Bay resorts, which is exactly WHY I said yes to getting lost in the ghetto.

It was unheard of.

Don’t do what they’re waiting for you to do.

Instead of a bulletproof vest, strap on your comment-proof vest and kick up some dust once in a while. I promise it won’t be for nothing.

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