Kieran Drew Profile picture
Feb 17 17 tweets 8 min read
Threads are the most powerful way to grow as a writer.

That’s why in the past 4 months I’ve posted 47 (and gained 8363 followers).

Here’s a breakdown of my framework TEACH – to help you write great threads your audience loves to read:
My first threads sucked.

I’d spend hours writing only to get 10 likes. It was depressing and demotivating. They felt like a waste of time.

Turns out there's a skill to threads. After studying the pros and applying the principles, this framework is the result:
T= Topic

If there’s one idea to take away from this thread, it’s this:

Stick to one topic.

Seriously. Specificity is the secret.

A thread that drifts between points will not get shared. It’s tempting to write your odyssey – but this is Twitter.
Write for the platform.
These style of threads generally do well:

• Listicle (X reasons etc)
• Collation (books, experts, quotes)
• How-to /frameworks (like this one)
• Story (experiences, mistakes, failures)
E=Emotion

You write to inspire action – and action stems from emotion, not logic.

Too many threads are boring information dumps.

@shaanvp’s advice?

Decide what emotion you’re aiming for BEFORE you write. Here’s his list:
@ShaanVP ‘Viral’ emotions include:

• LOL – that’s so funny
• WTF – that pisses me off
• AWW – that’s so cute
• WOW – That’s amazing
• NSFW – that’s crazy
• OHHH – now I get it
• FINALLY – someone said it
• YAY – that’s great news.
@ShaanVP A= Action

Now you know the emotion, decide the action.

It could be to read a book. Or change their habits. Or build a business. Or write more threads (like this one).

But I guarantee one truth:
@ShaanVP If your thread has no reason to act, you’ve wasted your time.

People WANT content that improves their life.

Not just casual observation, but actionable advice. Value. Solutions.

There’s a reason people like @grammarhippy grow rapidly. Each thread has useful takeaways.
@ShaanVP @GrammarHippy C= Context

Content without context is noise.

People don’t want to hear it. They want your experiences. Your credibility. What makes you unique.

If you don’t have context – don’t write it.

But the good news?

You rarely don’t. It’s all about framing 👇
@ShaanVP @GrammarHippy You want to establish why people should listen.

Instead of:
“10 tips to become a better copywriter”

You write:

“3 months ago, I set out to learn copywriting. Here’re the 10 best ideas from experts to instantly upgrade your copy"

This is powerful for 2 reasons:
@ShaanVP @GrammarHippy 1. A lack of experience becomes your credibility

You don’t need to be an expert to have something worth saying. People want guides, not gurus.

2. Your content forms your story

And storytelling is powerful. It invites your audience for the journey.

Which leads nicely to H:
@ShaanVP @GrammarHippy H = Hero

A lesson I wish I knew 1 year ago:

You are not the hero of your story. Your reader is.

If you can make each thread fit into the hero’s journey story format, it holds deep psychological appeal.

How?
@ShaanVP @GrammarHippy The Hero’s Journey:

X wants to DESIRE, but PROBLEM, which means DEEPER PROBLEM that may cause FAILURE. GUIDE (you) gives PLAN (topic) that lets X achieve DESIRE and TRANSFORMATION.

For today’s thread 👇
@ShaanVP @GrammarHippy Twitter doesn't allow for bloat.

But a couple of lines to show HOW your thread fits into your reader's story is powerful.

Why?

You bring hope.
You solve a problem.
You offer transformation.

And your audience loves you for it.

Read this thread again. See how I’ve used it.
@ShaanVP @GrammarHippy So there you have it.

Before you write, plan what you'll TEACH.

Some threads will flop. Most do ok. Some blow you away.

That's the nature of writing. But commit to volume and I guarantee you won't regret it.

Thanks for reading.
@ShaanVP @GrammarHippy If you want to improve your writing and storytelling, drop me a follow @itskierandrew.

And if you enjoyed this, I'd appreciate it if you shared it.

Just click below and up you go.

P.S.

Writing threads is one thing... working out what to write about is another.

That's why I've written a guide to help you define your niche differently and get started creating great content.

It's free. It's quick. It's awesome (if I say so myself).

writersniche.carrd.co

• • •

Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to force a refresh
 

Keep Current with Kieran Drew

Kieran Drew Profile picture

Stay in touch and get notified when new unrolls are available from this author!

Read all threads

This Thread may be Removed Anytime!

PDF

Twitter may remove this content at anytime! Save it as PDF for later use!

Try unrolling a thread yourself!

how to unroll video
  1. Follow @ThreadReaderApp to mention us!

  2. From a Twitter thread mention us with a keyword "unroll"
@threadreaderapp unroll

Practice here first or read more on our help page!

More from @ItsKieranDrew

Feb 15
4 months ago, I said I'd find my first freelance client.

I failed miserably.

Here's how my experience as a full-writer has gone so far:
I’ve never been so excited as the day I quit my job to go all-in online.

I had it figured out:

Niche down. Reach out. Ace my 1st client. Get a testimonial. Rinse and repeat.

Relaxing by the beach by Christmas.

Nice and easy... or so I thought.
You rarely hear about failing online. People succeed loudly but suffer in silence.

I expected to win. I didn’t expect the mental blocks.

Here’s what hit me:
• Fear of failure
• Feeling like a fraud (am I good enough?)
• Doubting my decision to quit my career
Read 13 tweets
Feb 10
The amount Hollywood has made telling stories in the past 10 years: $95,000,000,000.

I deep-dived into the highest-grossing movies to discover what makes them great.

Here’re the 5 powerful principles of storytelling I found:
Why care about stories?

We’re at the start of the digital age. More and more people are moving online.

This means the bar for attention is rising. Fast. Storytelling is how you stand out.

These principles will help you do it well 👇
Desire

Stories are journeys, but without a desire -there's no destination.

People have no reason to follow if they can't see where you take them.

The same is true online.

If you want people to engage in your story, talk about the end goal.
Read 15 tweets
Feb 8
I've been writing online for over 1000 hours now.

Here're 7 things I would NOT do if I had to start from zero tomorrow:
Most people who start writing, quit.

The key to consistency is early momentum.

I made nearly every mistake under the sun when I began my journey.

Here they are, so you don't have to:
Build a Blog

It’s tempting to set up a website, but the truth is no one will visit. Not for a long time.

And that time is crucial.

Early on you need feedback to grow. And writing to no one is lonely and depressing.

Go to where people are. Then take them to where you want.
Read 11 tweets
Jan 28
One of the best storytellers of our time: Ira Glass.

He tells stories to over 5,000,000 people per week.

I deep dived into his interviews to discover his secrets.

Here’re the 7 lessons I found:
Start in the Action

The right story can move mountains, but first – you need to grab attention.

How?

Strong hooks. Use:
• Curiosity
• Surprise
• Shock

Start with the problem and your audience remains for the resolution.
Story is Sequential

Build your story block by block: this happened, so X, but Y, then Z.

The result is a journey that builds momentum and suspense.

Form gives the impression of a final destination. Bring your audience for the ride.
Read 13 tweets
Jan 25
School has failed you.

There’s a different rulebook for writing online.

Here’re my 10 favourite models to help you create content your audience loves to read:
Less is More

At school you’re penalised for falling short of the word count.

But online we celebrate compactness. Great writing is lean writing.

Less words, more impact.

Slippery Slope

Teachers get paid to read your writing. The world does not. You need to earn attention and then keep it.

Follow this rule:

Every sentence moves the reader to the next.

Read 14 tweets
Jan 22
Journaling is the most powerful mental habit for writers and entrepreneurs.

But most methods aren’t optimized for results.

Here’s the simple system I’ve used for over a year to create more happiness, self-awareness and success:
Every day you’re bombarded with information. Thoughts are scattered. Life is relentless.

Journaling brings calm to the chaos.

In this thread I’ll show you how to do it effectively (in as little as 10 minutes a day). Image
A note:

At first journaling feels pointless. Most worthwhile things do.

But trust me - the more you do it, the better the results.

You piece together a map of your mind. A log of decisions. Data to guide future action.

This is powerful.

Here’s the setup:
Read 19 tweets

Did Thread Reader help you today?

Support us! We are indie developers!


This site is made by just two indie developers on a laptop doing marketing, support and development! Read more about the story.

Become a Premium Member ($3/month or $30/year) and get exclusive features!

Become Premium

Don't want to be a Premium member but still want to support us?

Make a small donation by buying us coffee ($5) or help with server cost ($10)

Donate via Paypal

Or Donate anonymously using crypto!

Ethereum

0xfe58350B80634f60Fa6Dc149a72b4DFbc17D341E copy

Bitcoin

3ATGMxNzCUFzxpMCHL5sWSt4DVtS8UqXpi copy

Thank you for your support!

:(