Writing is a super skill that can change your life
But school never taught me how to write properly
So I spent hundreds of hours learning how to write from the masters
Here are the 10 tips I found most useful 👇
1. cut out "I think", "I feel", "I believe", etc.
Why?
What you wrote already represents your opinion, you don't need to reiterate it, plus these words will weaken the credibility of your article
- I think you'll like these tips
- You'll like these tips
The second sentence is 100 times better than the first
I learned this tip from Nat Eliason https://t.co/OdbbnNDHZ7
2. write the title first
"Writing is thinking, and I know the subject as I write."
This is bull shit, don't do it
I wrote 400 blogs, and for the first 200, I wrote the title last, resulting in scattered topics, incoherent ideas, and unfocused expressions.Once I learned this trick, I knew what I was going to say from the first second I wrote it, so I could say it well
I learned it from Nicolas Cole
https://t.co/Db9cjpmnuW
3. Write musically
I try to write short sentences, but doing it all the time makes it dry to read
These three sentences above are a typical example 😄 Writing should be a combination of long and short, like writing a tune, so that the reader can feel the rhythm visually and aurally
I learned this technique from this picture that many people have reposted and have been using it https://t.co/S7DWUbQHfN
4. "Triad" (triad)
What is a triad?
This is another technique about rhythm that I learned from the book The Adweek Copywriting Handbook.The author says that when he gives examples, he only gives three.This is because it reads the most rhythmically.
"Mr. Yu Qian has three major hobbies, smoking, drinking and perming."
Do you feel the rhythm?If you look at my blog and newsletter
I do the same all the time 😄 https://t.co/AqHk3WTJBP
5. CTA = call to action
This is a common advertising term that refers to telling the reader how to act.If we are writing non-fiction, it is best to include at least one CTA
Why?
You need to get something out of your readers, and telling them what to do is the best way to give them something in return
Every idea I write about in Coke Weekly includes a CTA
Subscribe now 👇 https://t.co/ZdUEmV1eKb
6. One inch photo frame
Have a vague idea in mind but don't know how to write about it?
I often do, and one solution is a one-inch frame.Writing advice from Anne Lamott, who shares my love of alcohol, is to write down the idea that is already clear in front of you, the idea that you want to say the most, not the final presentation of the whole text, but the sentence that you want to say the most, the idea that you want to express the most, the idea that has already taken shape. https://t.co/lLepER3YFK
7. Simplicity and clarity
What is the highest form of wisdom?
Einstein thought it was simplicity.When talking about writing, he said, "In order to express myself more clearly, I need to remind myself constantly not to care in the least about the elegance of presentation."
You give me a lengthy essay, and I can give you an author who is not clear about what he wants to say.Simplicity and clarity of point is the supreme standard I learned from Einstein https://t.co/jHlPcdpMBI
8. no adverbs
You can find this one in every piece of writing advice that shows how much professional writers care about this 😄.I've also been constantly cutting adverbs from my drafts or replacing them with a more accurate verb
show,don't tell
Don't use the adverb to describe the situation, replace it with a more vivid narrative
https://t.co/AUYYCpnODG
9. fill the canvas
This is one of the ten most valuable things I've learned in the last year
https://t.co/4xVtB1Jjh1
Writing is hard, and if you don't have full momentum, you'll inevitably fail halfway.Writer Steven Pressfield's advice is that when starting a draft, one should take a leap of faith and fill the canvas first.We can't hesitate, because hesitation is defeat.
Come up with an idea, pour it all out, and you're halfway there!
These are the 9 writing tips that I use every day
I love to read books and articles about writing and share the best takeaways with my readers, so if you're interested too, fo me and subscribe to my newsletter 👇
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