From: myfirstmillionpod
Becoming a better writer is a skill that can be developed and refined [00:11]. The advice shared is based on principles that have generated significant results, including building and selling newsletter businesses for tens of millions of dollars, reaching millions on social media, and selling products online through email [01:20].
Why Focus on Better Writing?
Effective writing serves several key purposes:
- Scalable Persuasion Writing allows you to persuade an infinite number of people at once, whether to join a company, sell a product, or convey an emotion [03:12].
- Clear Thinking To write clearly, you must think clearly [04:00]. Writing acts as a “truth-tell potion,” revealing the clarity of your thought process and helping to clear “fog” in your brain [04:26]. Often, struggling with writing stems from unclear ideas [04:47].
- Idea Generation Writing is an incredible tool for generating new ideas [05:08]. As you write, new thoughts and concepts can emerge, which might be missed if you’re not writing regularly [05:16]. Longer-form writing, in particular, makes it harder to hide bad ideas or thinking, forcing greater clarity [05:31]. Paul Graham noted that 80% of writing might be bad and needs cutting, but writing can also generate 50% more new ideas [06:02].
Pre-Writing Strategies
1. Begin with the End in Mind
Before typing a single word, decide what you want the outcome to be [08:48]. This involves asking three questions:
- Desired Reaction: What emotion do you want the reader to feel? Emotions like “LOL,” “WTF,” “OMG,” or “heartwarming” compel people to share or act [09:55].
- Desired Action: What do you want them to do after reading? (e.g., click buy, share, forward) [11:37].
- One Key Takeaway: If they remember only one line or sentence, what would it be? People remember sentences, not entire books [11:51].
2. Craft a Strong Headline and Sub-headline
While headlines might change during the writing process, a clear sub-headline (a single sentence clarifying the main point) can serve as your “outline” [12:07].
3. Utilize a Swipe File
A “swipe file” is a collection of well-executed content (phrases, headlines, openers, closers, landing pages) that you can refer to for inspiration when it’s time to create your own [21:05]. This prepares you with ideas and effective examples before you start writing [21:24].
4. Warm-up with Copy Work
Before writing your own words, warm up by hand-copying text from writers you admire [15:15]. This technique, done for 10-15 minutes, helps you internalize their style and rhythm, almost like “osmosis” [15:22].
During the Writing Process
1. Don’t Bury the Lead
Avoid starting with excessive introductions, context, or background fluff [22:52]. Instead, put the most important, provocative statement, promise, or hook at the very top [22:58].
- Create a Curiosity Gap: The goal is to make the reader want to read the next sentence [25:23]. If the first sentence doesn’t grab attention, they’ll never get to your great ideas [26:08].
- Cut the Fluff: When starting out, a good trick is to write your opener, then cut almost all of it except for the last couple of sentences, as that often contains the direct “thesis statement” [24:09].
2. Unlearn School-Taught Habits
Much of what is taught in school about writing (e.g., minimum word counts, fancy vocabulary, strict outlines) is the opposite of what works for engaging online content [12:56].
- Be Concise: On the internet, shorter and quicker is generally better [13:18]. Eliminate filler and fluff [13:13].
- Use Accessible Language: Instead of fancy words, aim for an accessible reading level, typically 5th to 8th grade [13:43]. Tools like the Hemingway app can help check your reading level [13:55]. Avoid jargon like “utilize” that people don’t use in conversation [27:51]. As Stephen King said, “Any word you have to hunt in a thesaurus is the wrong word” [31:08].
- Write Like You Talk: The most engaging writing feels like a direct conversation with the reader [27:18]. If you can’t explain your idea simply by speaking it aloud, you’re not ready to write it yet [27:29]. Use a “voice memo test”: record yourself explaining your idea to a friend for 60 seconds; if it’s interesting to them, it will likely be interesting to a stranger [31:07].
- Write to One Person: When writing, imagine you are addressing just one specific person, even if millions will read it [32:15]. This helps maintain a personal, engaging tone.
3. Embrace Storytelling
Storytelling is a more advanced but highly effective technique for engaging readers [33:20].
- Intention and Obstacle: Every good story has a character with an intention (what they want) and an obstacle in their way [36:16]. The more intense the desire and significant the obstacle, the more compelling the story [36:44].
- Establish Stakes: Clearly define what the character has to lose if their intention isn’t met [38:21]. While beginners might focus on “life or death” stakes, the art is to establish “high stakes emotions in a low stakes environment” [38:37]. If you can make the reader care about the outcome of a seemingly small situation, you unlock an infinite supply of stories [39:08].
4. Vary Sentence Length and Create Rhythm
While short, simple sentences are generally effective for clarity, great writing also has rhythm and variety [40:27, 42:53].
- Default to Short: Start with short sentences by default [40:30]. Even complex topics can be explained simply with shorter sentences, as demonstrated by Warren Buffett, whose writing became simpler as his businesses grew more complex [41:18].
- Add Variety: Occasionally, use medium or longer sentences when the reader is “rested” and ready [43:01]. Think of writing as creating “music” that pleases the ear [42:57]. Tactics include using a period instead of a comma and starting the next sentence with “and” or “but,” or incorporating the reader’s internal dialogue [44:01].
Post-Writing Phases
1. Draft Quickly and “Stupidly”
Don’t be afraid to look foolish during the drafting step [17:10]. The first draft should be a quick, dirty “brain dump” [19:46]. Trying to make a draft “good” too early can lead to fatigue and self-doubt [19:51].
2. Incubate
After drafting, step away from your writing [17:28]. This incubation period (from minutes to days) allows for “passive thinking,” where your brain can process the problem and generate breakthroughs without conscious effort [17:39].
3. Edit Ruthlessly
Great writing is great editing [18:15]. This is where the “gold happens” [18:23]. As David Ogilvy said, “I’m a lousy writer but I’m a good editor” [18:13]. Stephen King calls it “killing your darlings” [18:19]. After incubation, it becomes much easier to see what to strike, delete, move, or add [19:17].
Resources for Improvement
- Books:
- On Writing by Stephen King: Praised for its biography and practical toolkit on writing [45:16].
- Content Creators for Inspiration:
- Theo Von: Known for original and unexpected phrases [45:50].
- Comedians (e.g., Dave Chappelle, Shane Gillis, Louis CK): Masters of timing, storytelling, and winning over audiences [46:19]. Analyzing how they structure jokes and narratives can be highly beneficial [46:57].
- True Crime Podcasts (e.g., Parcast shows like Serial Killers or Unsolved Murders): Excellent at building tension and storytelling [46:33].
- Joel on Software (Joel Spolsky): Writes engagingly about complex engineering topics, often with humor [50:05].
- Hacker News top posts: Often feature quirky, outside-the-box thinking, like the article “The Kroger app sucks” [50:17].
The most effective writing comes from being authentic; let your “freak flag fly” and write about what genuinely interests you and what you’re passionate about [52:09]. This creates a “personal monopoly” where nobody can compete with your unique voice and perspective [52:49].