Writing

Writing tips and tricks plus examples

LL Marketing

In authentic voice happens for a few reasons:

You read a lot of someone else’s writing and absorb their style.

You project expertise or experience you don't actually have.

You try to "write smart:" you use words like "plethora" or “myriad.” If you don’t use those words in conversation, don't use them in your writing. It's fraudulent voice.

The... See more

Julian Shapiro • Writing Well - Part 4 - Writing Style

Writing Tips - Voice

Even bad writing can be enjoyable when the author speaks like they would to a lifelong friend. Take this to whatever extreme you're comfortable with.

Julian Shapiro • Writing Well - Part 4 - Writing Style

Writing Tips - Style

When you write a first draft, you write it for yourself. When you rewrite it, you write it for everyone else.

—Stephen King

Julian Shapiro • Writing Well - Part 2 - Writing First Drafts

First draft

When rewriting, one of our goals is to be understood.

Readers don't assess the quality of nonfiction by its elegance nor its complexity. Instead, the quality of nonfiction emerges from:

How strong its ideas are x how much those ideas resonate

You get in the way of resonating when your ideas are unclear.

Julian Shapiro • Writing Well - Part 3 - Rewriting and Editing

Writing Tips - Rewriting

I've also found that switching text editors tricks my brain into re-reading my work with new eyes. For example, if I wrote the first draft in Dropbox Paper, I'll write the second draft in Google Docs. Those tools format text differently, which kicks your brain out of pattern recognition mode, and makes it feel like you're editing someone else's... See more

Julian Shapiro • Writing Well - Part 3 - Rewriting and Editing

Writing Tips - Feedback

Don't wait for an idea to be fully formed before writing. You write in order to think through the idea. The act of writing compels your brain to connect the dots.

Julian Shapiro • Writing Well - Part 5 - How to practice writing

Writing Tips

Have a captivating intro that buys goodwill.

Have at least one peak of insight or surprise.

Have an ending that satisfyingly justifies why the piece was worth reading.

There’s your writing formula. The rest of your article can be weak and most readers will still enjoy it. Take comfort in the implication: not every paragraph has to be interesting.

Julian Shapiro • Writing Well - Part 3 - Rewriting and Editing

Writing Tips - Be Intruiging

Notice how vividness isn't just detail. It's detail that resonates. It's the articulation of the rarely articulated nuances of life—in a way that makes you remark, "Ahh, that’s how I'd put words to that feeling."

Julian Shapiro • Writing Well - Part 4 - Writing Style

Writing Tips - Style

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

Writing tips - Ideation