Writing isn't good enough.
You have to write well.
5 ways to develop a writing style that sings.
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You have to write well.
5 ways to develop a writing style that sings.
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#1 Soul
A pig in a dress is still a pig.
Before thinking about how to say it, find something worth saying.
If you want to move beyond shallow content, you have to dig deep.
There are no hacks or tricks for this.
Read. Rest. Rediscover.
A pig in a dress is still a pig.
Before thinking about how to say it, find something worth saying.
If you want to move beyond shallow content, you have to dig deep.
There are no hacks or tricks for this.
Read. Rest. Rediscover.
A practical step to developing soul:
Bin your self-help books and your how-to manuals.
Pick up a great work of literature:
- Dostoyevsky
- Tolstoy
- Dumas
Or a collection of poetry:
- Wordsworth
- Herbert
- Milton
Itβll do you more good than Atomic Habits in the long run.
Bin your self-help books and your how-to manuals.
Pick up a great work of literature:
- Dostoyevsky
- Tolstoy
- Dumas
Or a collection of poetry:
- Wordsworth
- Herbert
- Milton
Itβll do you more good than Atomic Habits in the long run.
#2 Structure
A choir singing out of time is a cacophony.
Having every sentence sing is worthless unless they sing in time together.
Stop. Step Back. See it from a distance.
Where are you going with this?
And how are you going to get there?
Plot your course.
A choir singing out of time is a cacophony.
Having every sentence sing is worthless unless they sing in time together.
Stop. Step Back. See it from a distance.
Where are you going with this?
And how are you going to get there?
Plot your course.
A practical step for creating structure:
Everything has a beginning, middle, and end.
Begin by making your reader ask a question.
Answer the question at the end of the piece.
Everything that happens in between should carry your reader from question to answer.
Everything has a beginning, middle, and end.
Begin by making your reader ask a question.
Answer the question at the end of the piece.
Everything that happens in between should carry your reader from question to answer.
#3 Simplicity
Make it as simple as you can but no simpler.
Your sentences should sing.
But not so loud they drown out your message.
Cut words. Use better ones.
The harder it is to write, the easier it will be to read.
Make it as simple as you can but no simpler.
Your sentences should sing.
But not so loud they drown out your message.
Cut words. Use better ones.
The harder it is to write, the easier it will be to read.
A practical step towards simplicity:
Write your piece. Walk away.
Go read a book or have a bath. Even better, go to sleep.
Come back and edit. Look at every word and think:
βIf I had to pay $100 for this, would I? Can I drop it?β
I got this from @ScottAdamsSays. It works.
Write your piece. Walk away.
Go read a book or have a bath. Even better, go to sleep.
Come back and edit. Look at every word and think:
βIf I had to pay $100 for this, would I? Can I drop it?β
I got this from @ScottAdamsSays. It works.
@ScottAdamsSays #4 Skill
You have something to say. You know how to say it. Now say it well.
Skill is developed through careful, deliberate practice.
And through mindful consumption.
You have something to say. You know how to say it. Now say it well.
Skill is developed through careful, deliberate practice.
And through mindful consumption.
@ScottAdamsSays A practical step for developing skill:
Find a passage you love in a book.
Write it out, by hand. More than once.
Read it quickly, and slowly. Try to pick it apart a little.
Why does it work as well as it does?
Try and repeat it in your own work.
Find a passage you love in a book.
Write it out, by hand. More than once.
Read it quickly, and slowly. Try to pick it apart a little.
Why does it work as well as it does?
Try and repeat it in your own work.
@ScottAdamsSays #5 Symphony
Each of these pieces will improve your writing.
But when they come together in glorious symphony.
That is when your sentence will sing.
Each of these pieces will improve your writing.
But when they come together in glorious symphony.
That is when your sentence will sing.
@ScottAdamsSays A practical step for symphony:
The first step, the last step, and all the steps between.
Practice.
Set aside time every day and write.
Write poetry, write prose.
Write tweets, write essays.
Write childrenβs books, write reference books.
It doesnβt matter what.
Write.
The first step, the last step, and all the steps between.
Practice.
Set aside time every day and write.
Write poetry, write prose.
Write tweets, write essays.
Write childrenβs books, write reference books.
It doesnβt matter what.
Write.
If you enjoyed this thread, give that first tweet a RT and check out my free writing guide to help you develop your skill.
Also, follow along, I'm hoping to post a lot more of these going forward.
gumroad.com/l/secretsing
Also, follow along, I'm hoping to post a lot more of these going forward.
gumroad.com/l/secretsing
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