“No tears in the writer, no tears in the reader.
No surprise in the writer, no surprise in the reader.”
— Robert Frost
If it costs you nothing, it’ll cost the reader everything.
They won’t feel it.
Because they can’t meet you on a page you’ve never walked through yourself.
So cry if you must. Laugh unexpectedly.
Be startled by your own words.
And let the reader be moved—not by your polish,
but by your presence.
The page is a place to be honest, not impressive.