Build trust and authenticity with personal stories
Storytelling is your best tool to draw readers
Want to expand your comfort zone?
These articles help you crush your fears and overcome challenges:
Dare to fail your way to success - Moon Arica💦 Stories are your secret weapon
People crave closeness and connection.
What better way to connect people than with your personal stories?
It’s your most powerful tool as a writer to build trust and authenticity.
Why?
Because personal stories show vulnerability, they’re relatable, and they’re real.
When you share personal stories, you give your readers a glimpse into your world.
You invite them to walk alongside you in your journey.
But there’s an art to it.
Before we jump into it, my friend Khadejah has some great tips on storytelling, check it out here:
And here’s how to craft personal stories that not only resonate but also build long-lasting trust with your readers.
💦 Sugarcoating is poison
If you only show
glossy snapshots of yourself
an Instagram version of your life
a picture-perfect edition
your writing is doomed and trust is destroyed.
Because it feels like you’re spinning fairy tales.
Real stories with real struggles, especially something you’ve gone through, are what people connect with.
Honesty creates relatability.
When you write, “I always knew I’d be a successful writer.”
Vs
“I wrote in my messy journal for years, never thinking of publishing anything, never imagining that people will read my words one day. Writing on substack has helped me organize my thoughts and overcome my fears of publishing in public.”
It’s this raw honesty that allows readers to see themselves in your story and believe in your authenticity.
Vulnerability is strength.
Missteps and doubts make your success more inspiring.
💦 Show, don’t just tell
When I write, “I struggled with writing”, it doesn’t say much. It’s another vanilla saying that everyone accepts and forgets.
But when I write this:
“Being new to writing, I didn’t know what to expect. I didn’t know what I would write, who would read them and what kind of experience I’d have.”
It’s a vivid expression of my internal doubt and fear, and this instantly connects people.
This brings readers right into the room with me, letting them feel the weight of my story.
Paint bright and colourful pictures in your readers’ minds.
Or brush bold and dreadful strokes across them.
Specific moments create empathy, and empathy builds trust.
💦 Show the transformation
A story is a journey where you bring readers from one point to another.
And the beauty of it is in the transformation.
Readers want to see the arc—from where you started to where you are now. They want to know what lessons you learned, how you overcame the obstacles, and what changed for you.
After sharing your struggle, don’t just leave them hanging there. Show how you’ve evolved.
My note above shows just that. From zero to hero, from 0 to +++.
Transformation shows readers that you’re real, but also that you’re capable of growth. It’ll create of sense of hopefulness in them.
If this person can do this, I can do this too.
Once you’ve inspired this thought in your readers, it makes the journey meaningful.
Write your story with a turning point or a takeaway. They make your story compelling and memorable.
💦 Your story is their story
While your personal stories center around you, you’ll want to offer something for your readers. What can they take away from your experience? Your story might be unique, but the emotions behind it—fear, doubt, triumph—are universal. Speak to that.
I wrote about getting 0 likes in this note. This fear is universal. That big zero feels like a symbol for our failure, especially when we first start out.
We get 0 after 0 after 0.
It’s a universal experience and that brings us closer together.
Because we face the same enemy. We have the same doubts about our ability.
This personal story turns into a tool for inspiration, making it valuable for readers.
Shift the focus from “Look what I did” to “Here’s what you can learn.” This shift also builds trust and deepens the connection.
💦 Invite your readers into the journey
Great personal stories leave the reader feeling connected but also inspired to take action. Whether it’s subscribing, sharing their own story, or reflecting on their journey, your story should spark a response.
Quoting a reply from
Because that note above immediately sparked an action from her.
Turn your story into a conversation.
Engage your readers by
gving them a call to action
offering additional insights
asking them to share their experiences
Then you’ll create a two-way dialogue that strengthens trust.
💦 The power of personal stories
Harness that power.
Connect with your readers on a deeper level.
Write with honesty, specificity, and transformation, you invite your audience into your world and create a bond that goes beyond the words.
And that power is within you, within the stories you tell and share.
Your readers will come back not just because they enjoy your writing, but because they trust you.
May the force be with you.
Be a forerunner, take the lead. - Moon AricaIf you like someone else to embrace a Dare to Fail mindset, please restack and recommend it.
Expand your comfort zone here, tell me your thoughts:
Have you ever read a story that made you laughed out or started tearing?
Do you prefer to read comedies or tragedies? Why?
On writing:
Free pdf download - Create Endless Content From Your Daily Life
Thanks for reading.
Thanks Moon, I enjoyed this, especially the part about liking yourself. It feels a bit wrong but you're correct, if we don't like our own stuff, how can we expect others to like it!
Question yourself after every mistake; but never doubt what you are capable of doing.