Bids for connection are moments in relationships (no matter what kind) where somebody indirectly asks the other person to share an experience with them. These moments might not seem like much, but when accumulated, they are important for the health of the relationship.
Steven Pinker states that good writing is pointing out:
Pinker suggests approaching writing as if you were pointing something in the environment out to another person – something that she would notice for herself, if only she knew where to look. Imagine directing someone's gaze across a valley, to a specific house on the other side. "You should pretend," writes Pinker, "that you, the writer, see something in the world that's interesting, and that you're directing the attention of your reader to that thing." He calls this the "joint attention" strategy.
It helps me to consider my writing as a bid for connection with the reader. I'm pointing something out, asking for joint attention.
It doesn't have to be an earth-shattering new idea or the most exciting piece of content ever. It's just a small moment that we share.
