How you can keep readers hooked

(Even when you think you have nothing new to say!)

Recently, I asked regular TTRH readers to contribute their stories in honour of my second Substack anniversary.

Specifically, I asked for a trading breakthrough.

But, as I started receiving first drafts, I realised I left out a key instruction:

Don’t just share the destination. Also share how you got there.

To keep a reader hooked, take them on a journey:

• How did you start?

• What mistakes did you make?

• What did you learn from them?

• How did they shape you and your actions today?

This is how you create valuable content.

You may think that you have nothing new to add.

Or you may think yourself not ‘worthy’ of sharing your story.

FYI: So does everyone else. I’ve even had to convince top USIC performers that their insights are valuable before they agreed to guest post on TTRH!

Not because they’re not confident in their knowledge, but because others have already shared the same lessons.

Here’s the thing:

Your insights don’t need to be staggeringly original to be valuable.

‘Common wisdom’ is common for a reason.

It represents reality. Just because people have already been told “risk management is key” doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be told again.

The trick is to prevent people from switching off.

Don’t be boring.

Facts are easy to find. AI can spit out information faster than any human.

But humans crave connection.

Think about historical documentaries. Why are we moved by stories where we already know the ending?

Because it isn’t about the information.

It’s about how you tell it.

Humans are emotional beings. We remember stories far better than we remember facts. We also remember how someone made us feel long after we forget what they actually said. Plus, we’re far more likely to listen to people we can relate to and trust.

Which brings us back to connections.

You build connections by telling your story.

Share your mistakes and lessons learnt.

And share them in a way that helps the reader:

• What negative outcomes can readers avoid?

• What positive outcomes can readers achieve?

Tie your story into these two key questions. And make both outcome types as concrete as possible:

“Manage your risk to avoid blowing up.”

This is vague. You’re speaking to logic — which isn’t the part of our brain that makes decisions.

The discipline required for risk management doesn’t come from intellectual understanding, but the pain associated with the consequences of rule-breaking.

“Manage your risk or, like me, you could lose your house. You’ll throw yourself onto your bed, crying, because you can’t provide for your children — all because of your own stupidity.”

Here, we’re starting to feel that pain.

While nothing compares to the pain of (God forbid) your own blow-up, sharing an experience in this way speaks to the emotional part of our brain.

At the very least, readers will remember this story far better than a dry fact — even with an identical message.

For stand-out content, share your story.

This makes your content unique.

This makes your content human.

This makes your content memorable.

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Hope this helps!

- Kyna

P.S. Do you have any writing questions for me? Drop them in the comments, or reply to this email!