What if I told you it was possible to make readers like you within 10 seconds of reading?
You’d want to know how to do that, right?
It’s actually pretty easy to do. Here are four ways you can make this happen.
Read moreThe Unexpected Way to Become a Master Writer
Learn how mathematicians, philosophers, and Nobel prize-winning physicists agree on mastering writing through an unexpected approach. Hint: It's simple.
Read moreHow to Create Writing Briefs for Freelance Writers
Freelance writers aren’t magicians, but with a great writing brief that provides clear direction, they’ll be well equipped to turn your ideas into reality.
Here’s what you need to know to put together a home-run writing brief when working with a freelance writer.
Read moreVocabulary Tune-Up for Writers
Need a quick lesson to freshen up your vocabulary?
I’ve gathered a few fun words and writing resources that’ll help you punch up your writing in less time than it takes to brush your teeth.
Read moreHow to Hire & Work with a Ghostwriter
For the most part, everybody has a reason they don’t write as much as they like to.
But what they don't realize is that there are skilled ghostwriters who can help with the execution piece. We're looking at how to find, work with, and leverage a ghostwriter so you can publish more original content.
Read moreWriting Practice: Focus on Tiny Wins
A few weeks ago, I decided to alter my diet a bit.
Quarantine has me stress-eating (and loading up on sugar, alcohol, and comfort foods.)
The result = feeling like garbage.
Writing Lessons from the Existentialists
For the past few weeks, I’ve been reading about Existentialism. A thought clicked while I was reading: There’s a very prominent tie to writing within this particular philosophy because much of it relates to how we describe and interpret the world around us (through words.)
This is relevant not just to folks who consider themselves writers by trade or hobby, but to all of us. We all communicate with others through the medium of words—and the better we are at doing that, the more clearly and effectively we can share what’s inside our minds.The question is: How?
How to Write More (and Get Out of Your Own Way)
So often, ideas get stuck in writers’ heads (and never make it to the page.)
Here’s how to work past that and get more writing done.
Read moreHow to Get People to Read Your Posts
We all know that attention spans are shorter than ever (about 7-8 seconds on average, in fact.) Compound this with the distractions that crop up every minute of the day in the modern world, and you’ve got a major challenge on your hands when it comes to getting someone to sit still and actually read something you’ve written.
Read moreHow to Write a Stellar About Page
Writing About page copy is something a lot of people struggle with, because:
It feels gross and weird to write about yourself
It’s hard to know what’s too much (or too little) information
You don’t want to creep people out or scare people off by over-sharing
And these are just a few of the things that trip people up when they sit down to write this particular page.
BUT! Don’t worry. I’m gunna help you with a few easy suggestions. Let’s get right to ‘em.
Common Writing Questions Answered
I pulled together a FAQ that puts answers to common writing-related questions all in one place. Here are my quick, short-form answers and links to longer-form reads that answer these questions in depth.
Read moreWhy You Need to Rhyme
Hope you're doing okay right now. If you're like me, maybe you too are having trouble sleeping and feel like your anxiety is at an all-time high with everything that's going on. You're not alone in that.
That said, I've been working to keep the worries at bay. Which brings us to today's topic.
Shakespeare.
Sylvia Plath.
Notorious B.I.G.
Bob Dylan.
What do they all have in common?
How to Write Click-Worthy Headlines
Writing headlines, article titles, and email subject lines...it’s friggin’ HARD.
I always save this task for last because I often struggle to figure out the best way to summarize what I’ve just written about in a way that’s interesting, but not crossing the line into the territory of spammy.
(Because, is there anything worse than clickbait? Nerp.)
So are there any formats or formulas for crafting headlines that get clicked (and read?)
Glad you asked. There most certainly are...and these are some of my go-tos.
How to Write Descriptively
Let's talk about writing descriptively today.
I've got three examples we're going to dive into from really varied sources: Ernest Hemingway, Brandon Boyd of Incubus, and Sylvia Plath.
How to Develop Your Own Writing Voice
I have a thing for writers with a very signature writing voice.
You know what I’m talking about. There are certain writers that you can hear in your head as you read. It’s as if they were right in front of you, telling a story or entertaining a small crowd.
There’s definitely an element of showmanship to stylized writing: It performs for the reader/listener. It pauses. It has asides with the audience. It builds anticipation and delivers solid punchlines.
In-Depth Writing Lessons on Empathy, Scarcity, and Conversion-Driving
I feel like it’s been a bit since I’ve given you a really valuable, tactical, science-backed writing lesson.
So today, I want you to pick your own adventure.
Below, you'll find my three best, most in-depth posts on writing.
Choose the one that best lines up with whatever you need help with this week (or could use a little refresher on.) Here are your options:
Read moreHow to Make Your Writing Less Boring
Do you ever feel like your writing voice is a little...droning?
As you read back something you've written, maybe you hear something reminiscent of Ben Stein’s nasally voice saying, “Bueller?...Bueller?”
Sometimes when we forget to vary our sentence structure, the end result feels a little stiff and boring. The flow just isn’t there.
Why You Should Let Your Writing Ideas Marinate
In the past couple weeks, I’ve written a bit about the why and how when it comes to transforming your ideas into words.
I’ve also encouraged you to take the plunge and dive in and just start writing.
But...what if your idea isn’t quite ready yet?
How to Get Your Ideas Out of Your Head and Onto the Page
In most cases, here’s the general rub: You have a few general ideas you’d love to dive into in writing...but translating them into actual sentences (that flow well, use proper grammar, tell a story, etc.)...that’s hard.
The bad news is there’s no quick fix. I can’t snap my fingers or wiggle my nose and solve this for you. However, you can start chipping away at the roadblocks that go along with this issue. You do that by working through some of the things that can trip you up along the way to getting your butt in a chair and writing the thing you wanna write.
How to Write a Good Outline
Do I *really* have to put together an outline before I start writing? Is it entirely necessary?
I say the answer is yes.
At least for me, outlining has been a tactic that’s helped me manage writing articles and blog posts both large and small in a way that’s both logical and piecemealed so it's more manageable. Bonus: It helps me get past the blank page with ease.