I have nothing to sell you in this thread.
No sneaky links. Nada.
All I ask is for you to hit the 🔁 button on the first tweet.
Thanks. Let's start!
I read over 20 writing books and courses so you don't have to.
99% of the advice can be boiled down to 18 actionable tips
Bookmark and apply these tips to be a top 10% writer in any field:
I have nothing to sell you in this thread.
No sneaky links. Nada.
All I ask is for you to hit the 🔁 button on the first tweet.
Thanks. Let's start!
A reader's decision to read the body copy lives or dies on the strength of your headline.
Your goal is to make the reader curious enough to read the first few sentences.
If you got the reader to sentence number two or three, congrats.
The headline tickles the reader's curiosity but the hook is what gets them invested into the key message of your piece.
Like the opening scene of a suspense movie, the hook should pull the reader in.
At this point you should have their full attention.
Good writing should read as if you're sliding down a slippery slope.
Noticed I said guide... NOT push.
You're taking the reader on a journey from A to B and it should feel effortless and have a natural flow from one sentence to the next.
Don't beat around the bush. Your reader has invested their time and attention into reading your work.
Respect his or her time by staying on point and getting your message across in the most direct way possible.
Start by removing all filler words.
Unless you have a reason to be pretentious and verbose, keep your writing as simple as possible.
Use simple every day words and keep things short. This will make your writing more inviting and easier to read.
Always write in the active voice.
❌ "the ball was hit by Jake" [Passive]
✔ "Jake hit the ball" [Active]
Notice how the active voice is more dramatic, easier to see in your mind's eye and flows better?
Writing doesn't have to be a long winded process of staring at a blank screen for hours.
A simple outline with the BIG IDEA followed by a few bullets with all the key points you want to cover will do wonders for your writing.
This is a copywriting concept but it can apply to many forms of writing, not just sales letters.
I see the big idea as the heart & soul of your overall piece.
As you plan, as you masticate on the message, the big idea should appear like an "ah huh!" moment.
Writing is a three step process.
First you write.
Then you edit.
Then you edit some more.
At some point, what began as a cluster f*ck of thoughts and ideas becomes an important story with a compelling idea.
Writing is an intentional form of thinking.
It demands your full mental capacity which means it requires deep focus.
My best advice is to write in time blocks and listen to OST or classical music.
I write in 60 min blocks and 15 min breaks.
Find your system.
Storytelling is the root of all human communication.
It's the process through which we share knowledge, wisdom and history and it's worked for centuries.
Modern communication is no different.
My best advice to learn storytelling is to consume good stories and
A Twitter account is free.
An email list is free.
Google docs is free.
Talking to strangers is free.
All of these can help develop your storytelling chops.
Master the art of storytelling and you'll be a brilliant writer.
As my friend @getpaidwrite says "Writing is not about conveying information. Writing is about conveying emotion."
Good writing makes the reader think but great writing makes the reader feel.
The best writers make the reader feel by...
This is an advanced writing technique but my best advice for you is to read rhythmic writing and read your drafts out loud
READ
- Children's books (again h/t @getpaidwrite)
- Poetry
- Phillip Roth novels
Good writing is about making your ideas stick in the reader's brain.
The more specific your words, the stickier your ideas.
Eg. Compare "he slammed the door" vs "he closed the door really hard"
See how the first sentence is more dramatic and....
Pay attention to word choice and replace adverbs with more interesting and specific verbs.
Your writing will improve.
Good writers can sell you an idea.
Great writers make you fall in love with both their ideas and their words.
It takes courage to put your personality on the page without ruining the writing.
The only way to get that courage...
I've been writing for two decades and it wasn't until the last year or so did I build up enough confidence to start breaking rules and developing my own "style".
Copywriting is the skill of writing with an intent to persuade the reader to take a specific action.
Most people learn this skill to make money but I believe anyone who is serious about developing their writing skill should *at least*
Not only will it improve your writing but it will make you a more persuasive individual.
And we could all be more persuasive right?
Jim taught me to respect the craft of writing.
This is a serious skill for serious craftsman.
As such, you should master the craft by doing things like:
Studying the greats
Reading difficult books
Writing (duh)
Thinking
etc
Writing is hard because human thinking is complexed and nuanced.
This is why part of being a masterful writer means you must be a lifelong student of human nature.
Travel
Talk to strangers
Read books
OBSERVE.
Last tip👇
How can you become a great writer if you don't know what great writing looks like?
I fell in love with words when I got my first library card at age 7.
Read everything
- poetry
- novels
- philosophy
- biographies
- history
- etc
All great writers are avid readers. There are no exceptions to this.
Fall in love with words and you'll be well on your way to being a better writer.
That's all for now.
Follow me @waronweakness if you enjoyed this and don't forget to RT to share!
Love you all
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1/OK, data mystery time.
This New York Times feature shows China with a Gini Index of less than 30, which would make it more equal than Canada, France, or the Netherlands. https://t.co/g3Sv6DZTDE
That's weird. Income inequality in China is legendary.
Let's check this number.
2/The New York Times cites the World Bank's recent report, "Fair Progress? Economic Mobility across Generations Around the World".
The report is available here:
3/The World Bank report has a graph in which it appears to show the same value for China's Gini - under 0.3.
The graph cites the World Development Indicators as its source for the income inequality data.
4/The World Development Indicators are available at the World Bank's website.
Here's the Gini index: https://t.co/MvylQzpX6A
It looks as if the latest estimate for China's Gini is 42.2.
That estimate is from 2012.
5/A Gini of 42.2 would put China in the same neighborhood as the U.S., whose Gini was estimated at 41 in 2013.
I can't find the <30 number anywhere. The only other estimate in the tables for China is from 2008, when it was estimated at 42.8.
This New York Times feature shows China with a Gini Index of less than 30, which would make it more equal than Canada, France, or the Netherlands. https://t.co/g3Sv6DZTDE
That's weird. Income inequality in China is legendary.
Let's check this number.
2/The New York Times cites the World Bank's recent report, "Fair Progress? Economic Mobility across Generations Around the World".
The report is available here:
3/The World Bank report has a graph in which it appears to show the same value for China's Gini - under 0.3.
The graph cites the World Development Indicators as its source for the income inequality data.
4/The World Development Indicators are available at the World Bank's website.
Here's the Gini index: https://t.co/MvylQzpX6A
It looks as if the latest estimate for China's Gini is 42.2.
That estimate is from 2012.
5/A Gini of 42.2 would put China in the same neighborhood as the U.S., whose Gini was estimated at 41 in 2013.
I can't find the <30 number anywhere. The only other estimate in the tables for China is from 2008, when it was estimated at 42.8.
