21 sentences that will make you a better writer than 98% of people
Learn these to triple your engagement.
People say I’m a writing machine.
But what I really am is a man with momentum.
I’ve been writing and sharing online for a good fifteen years.
I still share writing that flops, but often, these were more experimental posts or I was at the mercy of an algorithm change.
I’ve shared hundreds of articles and thousands of posts. The amount of feedback I’ve now received that shows me what works is enough to put me in a good position to share my best tips.
If you’re struggling to write posts that engage, absorb the following ideas that helped me the most:
Excellent writing has more to do with the emotional state you create in yourself as you write than any clever template or tactic used.
Readers are hungry for honesty, so learn to become comfortable being honest in your writing.
Use the simple story structure of hook, build and payoff to deliver your words, but beyond that, don’t worry about using complicated templates and formats.
You will struggle to write over the long term if you don’t view writing as a craft to enjoy and master.
The more you can help your reader experience pain, the more satisfying their relief will be when you give them the solution.
Good writing only comes when you are willing to make mistakes, so allow yourself to make them initially.
Readers want to read things about people that remind them of themselves, so you need to write like a human in the way you might speak to a close friend.
Free-write whatever words come to mind to get loose before you write so you can extract the best insights for better writing.
Write like you’re talking to a younger, less experienced you or a close friend you genuinely want to help.
If you want to grow your influence online with writing, double down on writing that has already proven itself to get a strong response.
Stop talking in concepts and start talking in specifics.
Readers don’t want more information, so excellent writing is simple and readable, with all the erroneous fat cut.
Think of yourself as an entertainer, which starts by entertaining yourself as you write.
If you can’t think of anything to write, think of a problem you have, and write your way to the solution.
Instead of telling your readers what to do, show them through examples, descriptions, stories and anecdotes.
Good writers are masters at painting clear images in the minds of their readers.
On a noisy Internet, you must master grabbing people’s attention through strong, often provocative opening lines.
Write about problems and solutions because all readers really want are solutions and relief to their problems.
The best writers in the world have written a lot of words.
If you want to write well, stop trying to write and just write, even if it starts out as complete and utter rubbish.
The more you write, the easier it gets to write.
Alex
P.S. If you need some close guidance for writing stuff that will grow your personal brand asset (vital) over the coming months and years…
Online Writing Alchemy shows you how to write stuff that actually builds an audience of people who want to hear more from you.