How to Break the Fourth Wall in Writing

Today, I'm going to teach you an easy way to help your writing connect with readers.

You know how sometimes you’ll read something and it comes across as stiff, overly formal, or stuffy?

It happens a lot (especially in the business world.) The cure for this situation is to break down the walls between the writer and the reader so there’s a deeper feeling of connection, emotional resonance, and an overall more conversational tone.

This type of writing is far easier to read (and it’s much more memorable.)

I was recently reminded of a brilliant way to accomplish this: It’s called breaking the fourth wall.

The fourth wall is a term that comes from the acting world, referring to the fourth “wall” that actors pretend separates them from the audience. When an actor directly addresses the audience, it’s called “breaking the fourth wall.”

But this isn’t limited to visual formats.

In writing, you can also break the fourth wall by speaking directly to your readers. Sometimes these are called “asides” or “authorial interjections." It often means the writer pauses one thought to hop in with his or her internal monologue, directed at the reader.

Here’s an example: “I love living in New York. (Well...only the East Village. I wouldn't be caught dead signing a lease in Midtown). The culture and excitement here can’t be beat.”

See how the original thought is broken up by a peek at the writer’s thoughts and feelings? It’s essentially a cheat coat for more conversational, natural-sounding writing.

Of course, you can’t use this tactic just anywhere. There are pros and cons to deploying it (as there are with most things!)

Pros of Asides in Writing

• They help stress important ideas/provide a deeper understanding around the complexities of events or concepts

• They help illuminate the writer’s thoughts, feelings, or opinions

• They allow the writer to reveal something they want the readers to know

• They make the reader feel personally addressed

• They allow the writer to advise and act as a guide for readers

Cons of Asides in Writing

• If done too subtly, they can go unnoticed or be interpreted as sloppy, unfocused writing

• They can sometimes disrupt the pacing of your writing, thus hurting overall readability

• They can seem clumsy or awkward if correct punctuation isn’t used

So...how do you do it right? There are a few easy ways:

First person

In the first person format, the writer is already relaying the story to the reader. This means addressing the reader in a slightly more direct way can happen naturally.

Example: I'm always running late for work. In reality, it's because I oversleep, but I tell my boss it's because of terrible traffic. Added downside: I'm always left with the final grainy dregs in the break room coffee pot.

Using asides while writing in first person helps the writer create a feeling like putting a hand on the reader’s arm to say: “Here’s what I really think about this”, or, “Here’s what this really means.”

Em dashes, parenthesis, and footnotes

Interjecting a sentence with a thought inside em dashes or parentheses makes it easy for you to briefly re-direct the reader’s attention to a point you want to make or a piece of information you think he/she should know.

Example: Micheal roamed down the street, his shoes tripping along the rough stones. His ambling, slow pace was unusual to the people watching from balconies in his neighborhood—they were used to seeing him zip along at a fast clip, head down, arms swinging—but tonight, limbs heavy with wine, he moved without any sense of hurry, as if underwater.

This approach works well in highly conversational writing, but keep in mind that it can break up the flow of your writing. Try to keep the interjections short and then get back to what you were saying.

Or, if you’d rather keep things moving and use a less invasive approach, you could instead use footnotes to relay these comments to the reader at the bottom of a page. Writer's call.

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No matter which approach you choose, remember: Writing this way helps you quickly and easily connect with your readers.

It's also a shortcut to more stylized writing, giving your writing voice a more signature sound and flow.

The bottom line here: The fourth wall can be broken.

The question is: Are you willing to give it a try?

Want more insight on how to write conversationally? I've got a whole chapter on it in my eBook!

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My Favorite Writing Strategy EVER (A how-to!)

Writing Conversationally

I’ve had a few clients come to me specifically because they wanted me to create content with a nice, light, readable tone.
 
It feels conversational, and therefore, it fosters a connection with readers right off the bat. It’s not robotic or overly formal—which is a problem many businesses struggle to overcome with their audiences. They sound more like a faceless organization than real human beings running a company.
 
So how can you write conversationally, too? Here are my best tips for keepin’ it real.
 
Focus on the Open
 
Your opening is where you hook a reader—and it’s where a person decides if he or she wants to read more. I like to start out by setting up a relatable situation or touching on a pain point most of the time. This helps put you and the reader on the same page, and shows that you’re relating to them over a common issue.
 
For example: Isn’t it frustrating when you work so hard to write an amazing email, but then your open rate is dismal—and few people even see your message?
 
Sprinkle in Conversational Interjections
 
In order to achieve a conversational tone, you need to write like you speak, ya know? Add in some of the phrases people use when speaking throughout your writing to make it feel like your reader is listening to you face to face, such as:

Right?
Ya know?
Aha! Or Viola!
Oops
Duh
Pshhhh
Uh huh
Hmmmmm
Hey

These words make your writing more accessible, and add that nice human element that’s often missing. Now, please note that these should be used sparingly and only when appropriate. They’re nice for blogs and emails, but no so great for brochures and formal whitepapers. DUH.
 
Include Questions
 
Posing questions (rhetorical or otherwise) to your audience helps break down the walls between the two of you. Why? Because it puts you both on the same page and gets the reader's thought process rolling in exactly the way you want it to.

For example: Frustrated by low open rates on your emails? I was, too…
 
Questions are a subtle way to tease out pain points in a very conversational (non-salesy) way.
 
Ditch What You Learned in English Class
 
A conversational tone has stylistic freedom to forgo the formal requirements of writing you learned in school. It’s completely fine to start sentences with ‘and’ or to end with a preposition in the name of style. You can even throw in some slang words if you want—just don’t get crazy.
 
Metaphors Are Your Friend
 
I don’t mean poetic metaphors like, “Our face cream will make you glow like a moon in the evening sky.” That can easily read as corny and fake. And it’s gross. I mean metaphors such as, “Our face cream is like butter for your skin—but it smells a whole lot better.”
 
You should be striving to write in metaphors that play on irony or humor (so keep it light-hearted.)

I think information sharing is a beautiful thing, don't you think? If you have more questions, tweet me over at @kaleighf.

This article originally appeared in my newsletter, A Cup of Copy. Sign up and get these free tips sent right to your inbox every other Wednesday.