Read on Twitter
A simple formula for writing hooks: "Get 3 yes's in 30 seconds".
Readers should nod their head yes to the headline, subheading, and first sentence.
If they've made it to the third sentence, they're ready for an interesting and compelling story.
Readers should nod their head yes to the headline, subheading, and first sentence.
If they've made it to the third sentence, they're ready for an interesting and compelling story.
Love this book.
Takeaways:
1) Selling a cure is a lot easier than selling a preventative.
2) Never sell a product or service. Always sell a concept.
3) When editing, refine your copy to say exactly what you want to say with the fewest possible words. https://www.amazon.com/Advertising-Secrets-Written-Word-Entrepreneurs-ebook/dp/B009R5AH48/ref=tmm_kin_title_sr?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=
Takeaways:
1) Selling a cure is a lot easier than selling a preventative.
2) Never sell a product or service. Always sell a concept.
3) When editing, refine your copy to say exactly what you want to say with the fewest possible words. https://www.amazon.com/Advertising-Secrets-Written-Word-Entrepreneurs-ebook/dp/B009R5AH48/ref=tmm_kin_title_sr?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=
The best non-fiction writers borrow the techniques of fiction.
They make the reader forget they're seeing words on paper.
âGood writing is supposed to evoke sensation in the reader, not the fact that itâs raining, but the feeling of being rained upon.â - Sol Stein
They make the reader forget they're seeing words on paper.
âGood writing is supposed to evoke sensation in the reader, not the fact that itâs raining, but the feeling of being rained upon.â - Sol Stein
A lesson from @michaelpollan:
Writing is a form of music.
Like music, great writing has great rhythm.
The best way is to develop great rhythm is to read great writing before bed.
You do a lot of creative work when you sleep and you want to be in a "rhythm of good prose."
Writing is a form of music.
Like music, great writing has great rhythm.
The best way is to develop great rhythm is to read great writing before bed.
You do a lot of creative work when you sleep and you want to be in a "rhythm of good prose."
Great writers unlock the ELECTRICITY of sight.
They give their readers a pair of Magic Binoculars.
"Facts alone arenât enough. Theyâre too black-and-white. Readers yearn for stories, images, and anecdotes that make the information POP."
http://www.perell.com/blog/robert-caro-writing-secrets
They give their readers a pair of Magic Binoculars.
"Facts alone arenât enough. Theyâre too black-and-white. Readers yearn for stories, images, and anecdotes that make the information POP."
http://www.perell.com/blog/robert-caro-writing-secrets
Always stop writing when you know whatâs going to happen next.
Wise words from Ernest Hemingway
Wise words from Ernest Hemingway
When you become a regular writer, you change how you live.
Writing forces you to pay attention.
It takes you to a higher level of perception and makes the world pop.
http://www.perell.com/blog/writing
Writing forces you to pay attention.
It takes you to a higher level of perception and makes the world pop.
http://www.perell.com/blog/writing
Style matters.
Nobody has to read what you write, so give people a reason to spend time with you.
"You have to have a HOOK at the beginning and a ZINGER at the end."
- @paulkrugman
Nobody has to read what you write, so give people a reason to spend time with you.
"You have to have a HOOK at the beginning and a ZINGER at the end."
- @paulkrugman
Built a daily writing practice.
Days spent not writing are the enemy of productivity.
âWrite every single day. Make it a routine. Even if itâs a small amount, I assure you if you write every day it will pile up and youâll get things done.â - @tylercowen
Days spent not writing are the enemy of productivity.
âWrite every single day. Make it a routine. Even if itâs a small amount, I assure you if you write every day it will pile up and youâll get things done.â - @tylercowen
Simple copy editing tip:
"In your last pass, change the font to something unfamiliar. Then change the font size. When you're familiar with a piece, your eyes gulp whole passages and miss typos. New fonts focus your eyes on each letter."
- @DKThomp
"In your last pass, change the font to something unfamiliar. Then change the font size. When you're familiar with a piece, your eyes gulp whole passages and miss typos. New fonts focus your eyes on each letter."
- @DKThomp
Writing tips from @jasonzweigwsj:
1. Every tweet, text and email is a chance to improve your writing.
2. Writing is like peeling the layers of your own ignorance. Write to learn.
3. When you find a writer you like, read everything theyâve ever written. http://jasonzweig.com/on-writing-better-part-1/
1. Every tweet, text and email is a chance to improve your writing.
2. Writing is like peeling the layers of your own ignorance. Write to learn.
3. When you find a writer you like, read everything theyâve ever written. http://jasonzweig.com/on-writing-better-part-1/
Writing falls into 3 buckets:
1. Trivial things that everybody knows.
2. Things that everybody knows, but you have a unique perspective on.
3. Stuff that nobody knows so you have to do tons of research.
Pro-tip: When writing, focus on #2.
Killer insight from @devonzuegel.
1. Trivial things that everybody knows.
2. Things that everybody knows, but you have a unique perspective on.
3. Stuff that nobody knows so you have to do tons of research.
Pro-tip: When writing, focus on #2.
Killer insight from @devonzuegel.
Few exercises help clarify your thoughts better than writing.
Transferring vague feelings into words leads to clarity and surprising insights.
"Youâll be amazed at how much you can learn by writing things down, even if no one but you reads them."
- @MorganHousel
Transferring vague feelings into words leads to clarity and surprising insights.
"Youâll be amazed at how much you can learn by writing things down, even if no one but you reads them."
- @MorganHousel
At its best, writing is indistinguishable from MUSIC.
âGreat writers orchestrate an interplay between tension, suspense, surprise, release, and completion.
Itâs wild and sensual, deliberate and controlled, all at once, all carried out with lightness and grace.â - @jasonzweigwsj
âGreat writers orchestrate an interplay between tension, suspense, surprise, release, and completion.
Itâs wild and sensual, deliberate and controlled, all at once, all carried out with lightness and grace.â - @jasonzweigwsj
Writing tips from @ScottAdamsSays:
1. Write short sentences.
2. Avoid putting multiple ideas into one sentence.
3. Business writing is about clarity and persuasion.
4. Prune your sentences. Avoid unnecessary words.
5. Your first sentence needs to grab the reader.
1. Write short sentences.
2. Avoid putting multiple ideas into one sentence.
3. Business writing is about clarity and persuasion.
4. Prune your sentences. Avoid unnecessary words.
5. Your first sentence needs to grab the reader.
Leave out the parts readers tend to skip.
Poor communicators ramble. Good communicators leave out unnecessary details. Great communicators treat words as the scarcest commodity.
(h/t @morganhousel)
Poor communicators ramble. Good communicators leave out unnecessary details. Great communicators treat words as the scarcest commodity.
(h/t @morganhousel)
Great writing has rhythm.
It's like a dance, and words are the music that create the atmosphere.
The easiest way to add rhythm to your writing is to vary sentence length. Short sentences speed things up, and long sentences slooooooowwwwww things down. https://www.perell.com/blog/the-ultimate-guide-to-writing-online
It's like a dance, and words are the music that create the atmosphere.
The easiest way to add rhythm to your writing is to vary sentence length. Short sentences speed things up, and long sentences slooooooowwwwww things down. https://www.perell.com/blog/the-ultimate-guide-to-writing-online
A picture is worth a thousand college writing classes.
"Entrepreneurs are the best business writers in the world. If you canât write, you canât raise money. Or recruit. Or sell.
I donât know a single great entrepreneur who isnât a great writer."
- @nivi
https://venturehacks.com/articles/writing
I donât know a single great entrepreneur who isnât a great writer."
- @nivi
https://venturehacks.com/articles/writing
"Writing is attention to detail.
It's that one detail, that one scrap of dialogue, one color or smell that brings the whole scene to life."
It's that one detail, that one scrap of dialogue, one color or smell that brings the whole scene to life."
Look at your fish. Look at your fish. Donât forget to look at your fish.
Inspiration is perishable.
Strike while the flame is hot. Donât wait. The candle of inspiration will help you push through the challenges of creating something.
Donât let the flame die out.
Strike while the flame is hot. Donât wait. The candle of inspiration will help you push through the challenges of creating something.
Donât let the flame die out.
What I teach my writing students:
1. Treat every word like it costs you something.
2. Write from the heart. Edit with the mind.
3. Never write with a blank page. Start with a big page of notes instead. Then, organize the ideas and delete the fluff. https://www.perell.com/write-of-passage
1. Treat every word like it costs you something.
2. Write from the heart. Edit with the mind.
3. Never write with a blank page. Start with a big page of notes instead. Then, organize the ideas and delete the fluff. https://www.perell.com/write-of-passage
âWriting is the most radical thing you can do without money. Skilled writers change the world from their couch.
Thatâs leverage.â
â @Julian
Thatâs leverage.â
â @Julian
Re-writing is the secret to great writing.
First drafts are always weak. The ideas are dull and the sentences are hollow.
Re-writing changes everything.
Great writers question every word. Each sentence moves the story forward.
Write. Edit. Revise. Publish.
First drafts are always weak. The ideas are dull and the sentences are hollow.
Re-writing changes everything.
Great writers question every word. Each sentence moves the story forward.
Write. Edit. Revise. Publish.
Writing propels the ultimate positive feedback loop.
Online writers are rewarded with instant feedback.
And fast feedback loops are the best way to accelerate your learning.
As your writing improves, so will the opportunities available to you.
Online writers are rewarded with instant feedback.
And fast feedback loops are the best way to accelerate your learning.
As your writing improves, so will the opportunities available to you.
Writing makes the world come to life.
âThe world is full of obvious things which nobody by any chance ever observes." â Sherlock Holmes https://www.perell.com/blog/why-you-should-write
âThe world is full of obvious things which nobody by any chance ever observes." â Sherlock Holmes https://www.perell.com/blog/why-you-should-write
âYou are not Proust. Do not write long sentences. If they come into your head, write them, but then break them down.â
â Umberto Eco
â Umberto Eco
Three ways to cure writerâs block:
1. Gather supplies
2. Talk it out
3. Start with abundance
âBy the time you finish this article, youâll be done with writerâs block forever.â
https://www.perell.com/blog/how-to-cure-writers-block
1. Gather supplies
2. Talk it out
3. Start with abundance
âBy the time you finish this article, youâll be done with writerâs block forever.â
https://www.perell.com/blog/how-to-cure-writers-block
Iâm hooked.
This is how you write an introduction.
This is how you write an introduction.
You wonât run out of ideas.
Good ideas create more good ideas.
Your best ideas are hiding in the shadows.
Theyâll come to light once your fingers hit the keyboard.
âSo, write.â â @morganhousel
Good ideas create more good ideas.
Your best ideas are hiding in the shadows.
Theyâll come to light once your fingers hit the keyboard.
âSo, write.â â @morganhousel
"I believe deep thinking can only be done in writing.
To follow an idea seriously, you must constantly pause to consider all possibilities, which takes time and care."
â Francois Chollet ( @fchollet)
To follow an idea seriously, you must constantly pause to consider all possibilities, which takes time and care."
â Francois Chollet ( @fchollet)
This is the kind of insight that only a writer as sharp as @jasonzweigwsj could have.
Read it.
Then read it again.
Read it.
Then read it again.
If youâre stuck, make writing a tactile experience.
It doesnât have to be as boring as sitting down at your computer and starting at a screen for hours on end.
Iâve always enjoyed this quote from @nytdavidbrooks.
Weâre most creative when weâre active and playful.
It doesnât have to be as boring as sitting down at your computer and starting at a screen for hours on end.
Iâve always enjoyed this quote from @nytdavidbrooks.
Weâre most creative when weâre active and playful.
When writing, focus on the long-term instead of the short-term.
People over-estimate the benefits of publishing one article, but under-estimate the benefits of building a body of work.
(h/t @Alex_Danco)
People over-estimate the benefits of publishing one article, but under-estimate the benefits of building a body of work.
(h/t @Alex_Danco)
When you know youâre going to write, you change the way you live.
Writing forces you to observe the simple things youâd otherwise ignore.
As Sherlock Holmes said: âThe world is full of obvious things which nobody by any chance ever observes." https://www.perell.com/blog/why-you-should-write
Writing forces you to observe the simple things youâd otherwise ignore.
As Sherlock Holmes said: âThe world is full of obvious things which nobody by any chance ever observes." https://www.perell.com/blog/why-you-should-write
Writing tips from Elmore Leonard:
â Delete the parts readers tend to skip
â Cut exclamation points
â Avoid prologues
â Shorten your paragraphs
â Keep the flow of your story moving
"My most important rule is one that sums up the 10: if it sounds like writing, I rewrite it."
â Delete the parts readers tend to skip
â Cut exclamation points
â Avoid prologues
â Shorten your paragraphs
â Keep the flow of your story moving
"My most important rule is one that sums up the 10: if it sounds like writing, I rewrite it."
At McKinsey, people write with the Pyramid Principle.
Here's the formula:
1) Start with the short answer first because busy executives want to get to the point.
2) Summarize your supporting arguments.
3) Logically order your supporting ideas.
I added an example below.
Here's the formula:
1) Start with the short answer first because busy executives want to get to the point.
2) Summarize your supporting arguments.
3) Logically order your supporting ideas.
I added an example below.
"Advice? I don't have advice. Stop aspiring and start writing."
â Alan Watts
â Alan Watts
Start your story in the heat of the action, right before you get eaten by the bear.
Things to remember:
1) Trim the backstory.
2) People want to hear the juicy stuff.
3) Ask: "Whatâs the minimum amount of backstory my reader needs in order to understand me?â
(h/t @wes_kao)
Things to remember:
1) Trim the backstory.
2) People want to hear the juicy stuff.
3) Ask: "Whatâs the minimum amount of backstory my reader needs in order to understand me?â
(h/t @wes_kao)
Delete everything that's not surprising.
"People only really learn when they're surprised. If they're not surprised, then what you told them just fits in with what they already know. No minds were changed. No new perspective. Just more information." â @sivers
"People only really learn when they're surprised. If they're not surprised, then what you told them just fits in with what they already know. No minds were changed. No new perspective. Just more information." â @sivers
Write with a thesaurus.
Don't use it to look up words you've never seen before. Instead, use it to find words that everybody knows and are also more descriptive than what you have on the page.
Don't use it to look up words you've never seen before. Instead, use it to find words that everybody knows and are also more descriptive than what you have on the page.
