Notes from ship30 starting writer guide
Common Problems
10 problems that most beginner writers face:
- Distracting ourselves
- Over-editing
- Perfectionism
- Procrastination
- Lack of self-confidence
- Lack of ideas
- Impostor Syndrome
- Consistency
- Choosing a platform
- Finding time
Benefits of Writing Online
- building a library of content
- Clarifying your thoughts
- Showing yourself
- Building an audience
- Receiving rapid feedback
Generating Ideas
”Endless Idea Generator Framework”
Automatic Tool
Article
Preparing the Text
A framework for testing and preparing the ideas
The idea for the topic can be tested as a post (ex. twitter), then if feedback is good turned into a longer form (and again)
The feedback from audience should drive our development
Avoid working with a blank page, prepare headlines, inro, list main points
Niche Vs General Audience
Niche topics attract small audiences, but they tend to be much more engaged.
Both niche and general writing have their uses, generally broader topics introduce new readers while niche ones engage them.
How to Make Topics More Niche
- Name the audience
- Name the outcome
- Name the process
Writing Headlines
Three most important aspects
- Who is the text for?
- What it’s about?
- Why should they read it (what’s the promise)?
Five pieces of every headline:
- How Many?
- What?
- Who?
- Feel
- Outcome/Promise
Headlines should grasp the curiosity of the reader and promise an interesting answer to a problem or a question, which will be delivered in the article.
Headlines should be clear, not clever.
Answering the Readers through Personal Story
The best content is one that simultaneously:
- Answers the readers’ question
- Tells a personal story
Formatting Your Writing
Digital writing should be skimmable - readers tend to skim the text first, and decide if to read it based on how accessible it looks
Skeleton of a Piece
- Headline
- Introduction
- Main Points
- Conclusion
Tools
- Wheels - H1 headings that signify new overarching section
- Spokes - smaller headings that separate important subsections
- Lists, Bullet Points - deliver information in an accessible way
- Boldened sentences - signal important information
Writing Rhythms
The writing can have rhythm, in the sense that it can flow naturally. Using sentences and sections of different lengths we can guide the reader to flow naturally through the text
Good Rhythms:
- 1/3/1
- 1/5/1
- 1/2/5/2/1
- 1/3/1 + 1/3/1
Rate of Revelation
Other important thing in online writing is the rate at which we reveal information to the reader. It can be either fast or slow, depending on the goal and place where we want to publish the text.
Slow revelation rate describes the subject in length providing additional details
Fast revelation rate provides new information with every chunk of text.
Content Differentiation
You shouldn’t write the same things that have been already written, instead you should differentiate your content to stand out.
Three categories of differentiation:
- Voice
- Format
- Content
Bio
A writers bio is one of the most important things they will ever write. It should be clear on who they are, what they are writing about and what makes them credible
Claiming Your Category
Your bio should include the category you’re claiming as your own, but it can change over time. The idea is:
- Write about different things
- Focus on things that work
- Name and claim what resonates to be recognizable in that field
- Repeat