✍️ what makes good writing land?
A place for insights on clarity, structure, tone, and craft. Why certain writing hits harder than others, and how to make mine do the same.
✍️ what makes good writing land?
I don’t write to simply generate a 1,200 word output. I consider writing to be an extension of my curiosity, and the writing process itself is what turns a rough idea into a finished product. I begin with a vague idea based on some observation of the world, and I put that on paper. As I’m writing that idea, two distant synapses in my brain connect,... See more
Jack Raines • The Purpose of Things Isn't to Stop Doing Things.
This is how I write, in five simple steps:
The problem: show readers that there’s a serious problem that needs to be fixed.
A possible solution: explore one or more possible solutions to the problem.
Solving the problem: tell the story of how to solve the problem using one of the possible solutions.
Drawback: show that the solution is not perfect,... See more
The problem: show readers that there’s a serious problem that needs to be fixed.
A possible solution: explore one or more possible solutions to the problem.
Solving the problem: tell the story of how to solve the problem using one of the possible solutions.
Drawback: show that the solution is not perfect,... See more
- Bruno Pedro
Step one is choosing an objective for your post, such as:
- Open people’s eyes by proving the status quo wrong. Example.
- Share a solution to a tough problem. Example.
- Distill an overwhelming topic into something approachable. Example.
- Tell a suspenseful and emotional story that imparts a lesson. Example.
- Articulate something everyone’s thinking about but
julian.com • Writing Well - Part 1 - What to Write About
What works for me (as I said previously) is a single line at the top of the page that sums up the main point I'm trying to make. Then I list some key points that relate to or support my bigger idea. Then I go back and expand on those ideas in another sentence or two, creating paragraphs. Then I move the paragraphs around, adding transitions between
... See moreAnn Handley • Everybody Writes
Write little phrases that will “open a door to a scene”: Often, we can’t see our entire project in its full form, but we can see little pieces of it. A curtain moving in the morning light, for example. A man sneaking around a house. Jotting down these little hints “open a door” for your future writer-self.
Toni Morrison's Research Notes for Beloved
Practical things you can do to make your text clearer.
Open two copies of the same document and put them side-by-side. Edit in one, while referring to the other.
Rewrite your first draft using this rule: no significant words from the first draft are allowed in the second draft.
If your sentence has more than two commas in it, it’s probably too long.
I... See more
Open two copies of the same document and put them side-by-side. Edit in one, while referring to the other.
Rewrite your first draft using this rule: no significant words from the first draft are allowed in the second draft.
If your sentence has more than two commas in it, it’s probably too long.
I... See more