Writing is a super-skill that can change your life

The original article is in chinese: 写作是可以改变人生的超级技能

Translated Article

Writing is a super-skill that can change your life, but I was never properly taught how to write in school. So, I spent hundreds of hours learning how the masters write. Here are the 10 tips I found most useful.

1. Remove phrases like "I think", "I feel", "I believe", etc.

Why? Your writing already represented your viewpoint, there's no need to reiterate it. Plus, these words undermine the credibility of your post.

I think you'll like these tips.
you'll like these tips.

The second sentence is 100 times better than the first.

I learned this technique from Nat Eliason. Blog: 21 Tactics to Help You Become a Better Writer.

2. Write the Title First

"Writing is thinking. As I write, I naturally figure out what the title is." This is bull shit. Don't do this.

I've written 400 blog posts, and for the first 200, I left the title until the end. This led to scattered themes, incoherent thoughts, and unfocused expression. Knowing this technique, I know what I'm going to say from the first moment I start writing, so I can get it right.

I learned this from Nicolas Cole. Youtube: What is the secret to writing high-performing content online?

3. Write Rhythmically

I try to write short sentences, but doing it consistently makes the reading dry. Writing should be a combination of long and short, like composing music, creating rhythm visually and auditorily for the reader.

I learned this trick from an image that many people shared and I use it all the time. rhythm of writing

4. "Triad"

What is a triad?

Here's another tip on pacing that I learned from the book The Adweek Copywriting Handbook. The author says that when he gives examples, he only gives three. That's because it reads with the most rhythm.

5. CTA = call to action

This is a term commonly used in advertising that tells the reader how to take action. If we are writing non-fiction, it's best to include at least one CTA

Why?

You need to make a difference to your readers, and telling them what to do is the best way to reciprocate their investment.

6. One inch picture frame

Have a vague idea in mind but don't know know how to start?

It happens to me all the time, and one solution is, well, a one-inch picture frame. One writing advice from Anne Lamott, who likes to drink as much as I do: Write down the idea that has already taken shape, the one you want to say the most, and don't think about the final presentation of the whole article.

7. Simplicity and clarity

What is the highest form of wisdom?

Einstein believed it was simplicity. When it comes to writing, he said, "In order to express myself more clearly, I need to constantly remind myself not to care in the least about the elegance of presentation. "

You give me a lengthy article and I can give you an author who isn't sure what they are trying to say. Simplicity and clarity are the supreme standards I learned from Einstein here

8. No adverbs

The fact that you can find this in every piece of writing advice shows how much professional writers care about this. I've also been removing adverbs from my drafts or replacing them with more accurate verbs.

Show, don't tell.

Don't use adverbs to portray a situation, replace it with a more vivid narrative. Blog: How to practice writing

9. Cover the canvas

This is one of the ten most valuable things I've learned in the last year.

Writing is hard, without a full head of steam, it's easy to give up halfway. Writer Steven Pressfield's advice is that when starting a draft, one should fill the canvas first with a bang. We can't hesitate, because hesitation leads to defeat.

Come up with an idea, pour it all out, and you're halfway there.