Content Writer & Editorial Strategist

I make complex topics feel simple.

I write for brands that need to explain something complicated to people who aren't experts. If it's dense, technical, or puts people to sleep, I take it apart and put it back together in a way that actually clicks.

Mike Williams
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What I've been writing

Op-eds for Fast Company, educational guides, and long-form articles. All built around making complex topics feel approachable.

Core skills

The things clients actually hire me for.

Complex-to-Clear Writing

Translating dense, technical topics into content that feels like a conversation. No jargon without context.

Editorial Strategy

Building content frameworks and editorial calendars that keep voice consistent across dozens of pieces.

Subject Matter Fluency

The ability to learn a new domain fast and write like I've been there for years.

Authentic Voice

Content that reads like a real person wrote it. Natural rhythm and conversational tone that builds trust.


Mike Williams

The short version

I'm Mike Williams, a freelance content writer based in New York. I take complex, technical subjects and make them relatable. The kind of topics most people tune out? I turn those into content they actually want to finish reading.

I'm probably overthinking everything, but at least you won't have to.

Read the longer version →

From the blog

Plot twists, hot takes, and everything in between.


Portfolio

Editorial content, ghostwritten op-eds for Fast Company, and long-form blog posts. All produced for the National Cryptocurrency Association. I write the kind of stuff that makes people think, "Oh, that's what that means."

Written for NCA

Crypto Is in Its Cloned Cellphone Era

An op-ed built around a single historical parallel: the same fraud and skepticism that defined early cellphones in the '90s is playing out in crypto today. The goal was to reframe a defensive topic through storytelling, not data dumps.

Industry Narrative Analogy-Driven
Fast Company
Written for NCA

3 Shifts in Crypto into 2026

A forward-looking opinion piece that needed to feel accessible to Fast Company's general audience, not just insiders. Broke down mainstream adoption, tokenization, and TradFi convergence without relying on jargon or hype.

Trend Analysis Accessible Framing
Fast Company
Written for NCA

Gift Cards Had a Good Run. Crypto Might Be What Comes Next.

Positioned crypto gifting as the natural next step after gift cards, grounded in consumer survey data from the NCA Holiday Report. Written to feel like a casual conversation, not a pitch.

Consumer Insight Data-Backed
Fast Company
Edited for NCA

Smart Contracts

A plain-English explainer that uses a vending machine analogy to walk readers from "what is this?" to real-world use cases. The brief was clarity for a non-technical audience. No glossary required.

Explainer Technical Simplification
NCA
Edited for NCA

Getting Started with Crypto

A step-by-step onboarding guide covering platform selection, account setup, fee structures, and wallet types. Structured so a total beginner can follow along without Googling anything.

Onboarding Guide Beginner-Friendly
NCA
Edited for NCA

Tokenization 101

Turned the abstract concept of tokenized real-world assets into something tangible. Used claim tickets and coat checks to explain fungible vs. non-fungible tokens to a general audience.

Explainer Concept Breakdown
NCA
Edited for NCA

Miners & Validators 101

Broke down three consensus mechanisms using a sports referee metaphor to make network security intuitive. The challenge was covering Proof of Work, Proof of Stake, and Federated Consensus without losing anyone.

Explainer Technical Simplification
NCA
Edited for NCA

Staking 101

Explained how staking rewards work by connecting it to something people already understand: savings account interest. Covers APY, validators, and the risks, all in plain language.

Explainer Finance Analogy
NCA
Edited for NCA

Layer 1 vs. Layer 2

A guide to blockchain architecture that uses the "highway and express lane" metaphor to make protocol layers and scalability feel approachable, not academic.

Explainer Architecture Guide
NCA
Edited for NCA

Crypto Donations: Giving That Goes Further

A Giving Tuesday content piece that reframes crypto donations as practical, not trendy. Focused on speed, lower fees, and transparency, with real examples of nonprofits already doing this.

Seasonal Content Real-World Use Case
NCA
Edited for NCA

Crypto Is on the Gift List This Holiday Season

A data-driven holiday feature built around NCA's 2025 Holiday Crypto Report. Translated survey findings into a consumer behavior story about how gifting habits are shifting.

Data Storytelling Consumer Trends
NCA
Edited for NCA

On-Ramps & Off-Ramps 101

An entry-level guide to moving money between traditional finance and crypto. Written to feel as familiar as using a banking app, because that's basically what it is now.

Onboarding Guide Beginner-Friendly
NCA
Written for NCA

From Fear to Familiar: How New Technologies Earn Trust Over Time

A long-form narrative tracing how electricity, railroads, online banking, and cellphones all followed the same adoption curve. Uses historical parallels to make a case about trust without ever being preachy.

Long-Form Narrative Historical Framing
NCA

Mike Williams

I'm Mike Williams, and I'm a writer.

Not in the "I've been published in The New Yorker" way (yet). More in the "I left tech because my soul was malnourished and now I write for a living" way. Which, honestly, feels more interesting.

Professionally, I'm a freelance content writer and editorial strategist. I work with brands that need to explain something complicated to people who aren't experts.

I take concepts that make most people's eyes glaze over and make them relatable. That's it. That's the whole thing. Whether it's blockchain architecture, SaaS onboarding, or benefits enrollment, the process is the same: figure out what the reader actually cares about, then write like you're talking to them.

My approach is simple: start with what the reader is actually worried about, use real examples instead of abstract hand-waving, and never pretend something is easy when it's not. I'd rather use a vending machine analogy than a whitepaper citation.

Outside of client work, this site is where I write about everything else: movies that made me feel things, books I'm working through, and the occasional existential spiral about whether this whole writing career is a quarter-life crisis. (It might be. But it's a productive one.)

I'm based in New York, currently open to freelance and contract work, and always up for a conversation about why Brokeback Mountain is still the gold standard.

Say hello →

Who I've worked with

Let's talk.

I'm currently open to freelance and contract opportunities in content writing, editorial strategy, and educational content. If you need a writer who can make complex topics feel like a conversation, I'd love to hear from you.