The Dragon in the Woods
(How a Story With My Daughter Fixed the #1 Mistake New Writers Make)
When my daughter was 12, we made up a story that changed everything.
We’d always read to our kids at bedtime. It was our rhythm, our way of teaching them to love reading, and of slowing down the chaos of the day.
But one evening, just as ChatGPT was becoming a thing, my daughter and I decided to create our own adventure.
She loved dragons. Still does.
So we spun a tale about her meeting a golden dragon in the woods over the fields near our house.
A secret companion who visited her in the twilight. Who played games among the trees. Who told stories of ancient times and sang lullabies around the fire.
She was in the story - not just reading it. And that made all the difference.
She giggled the whole way through.
We’ve read dozens of books since. She’s a confident reader now. But she remembers that one. Why?
Because she was the hero. The main character. The MVP.
So what does a giggling 12-year-old and her pet dragon have to do with your writing strategy?
Quite a bit as it happens, especially if you’re a new writer trying to grow an audience.
Most beginners make the same mistake: they write like they’re the hero.
But your reader doesn’t care about your story…until they can see themselves in it.
That bedtime dragon tale stuck because it was personal - to her. It gave her ownership, emotion and identity.
If you really want your writing to resonate, do the same for your audience.
Here’s how:
Make them the star.
Write for them, not about you. Speak to their fears, their dreams, and their secret dragons.Tell stories they can step into.
Use metaphors and scenarios that mirror their lives. Make the lesson land through lived experience - even if it's not theirs.Show them the shift.
Reveal how your story leads to a change they want - whether it's clarity, confidence, or momentum. Make the transformation feel possible for them.
Because when your reader feels seen, they stay. They remember. They come back.
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