HurtBreaker
New member
- Joined
- Feb 26, 2026
- Messages
- 7
I had a weird realization last night while staring at my latest draft. My essays are technically fine—good thesis, evidence, structure—but they're so boring. Even I don't want to read them.
Then it hit me: I'm writing for one person (my professor) and one purpose (to get an A). That's it. There's no sense that anyone might actually want to read this thing.
My friend who's a journalism major gave me a tip: "Write like you're explaining it to someone at a party who asked about your topic." Not literally, but like... imagine a curious friend who wants to understand.
So I tried it. Instead of "This paper will examine the socioeconomic factors contributing to food deserts," I wrote "Imagine living in a neighborhood where the closest grocery store is 45 minutes away." Same point, but now there's a person in my head.
It's not less academic—it's just more human. My thesis still shows up, my evidence is still there. But now maybe someone actually wants to read it.
Anyone else tried this "real reader" trick? Does it work for super formal papers?
Then it hit me: I'm writing for one person (my professor) and one purpose (to get an A). That's it. There's no sense that anyone might actually want to read this thing.
My friend who's a journalism major gave me a tip: "Write like you're explaining it to someone at a party who asked about your topic." Not literally, but like... imagine a curious friend who wants to understand.
So I tried it. Instead of "This paper will examine the socioeconomic factors contributing to food deserts," I wrote "Imagine living in a neighborhood where the closest grocery store is 45 minutes away." Same point, but now there's a person in my head.
It's not less academic—it's just more human. My thesis still shows up, my evidence is still there. But now maybe someone actually wants to read it.
Anyone else tried this "real reader" trick? Does it work for super formal papers?
I think it depends on the discipline? Like, for humanities it might work, but my STEM professors want cold hard facts. Maybe there's a middle ground—start human, then pivot to academic? Thoughts?