template peddling gurus won't like this one
...moving into holy cow slaughter territory
Hey, are you sitting down?
Going straight for the kill here...
Open your fav social media platform and the algo will serve you a 3 course meal in the form of writing advice.
You know.
The “How to grow an audience on <enter your fav platform>“ posts.
Unfortunately, 99% of writing advice is actually dogs’ bollocks
It misses one critical point:
(by a mile)
Form and Flow can NEVER substitute substance.
You with me?
A perfectly executed BAD idea still sucks.
A Stumbling GREAT idea still somehow works.
The only problem is, you can’t always tell them apart:
(Enter internet-famous meme: F*ck around and find out!)
So before another Template Templar or Grammar Guru sells you their latest writing course...
...let’s establish some basic truisms (aka the 7 anti-rules):
Writing is a form of expression
(like photography, singing, painting)You don’t need the 100 hook notion template pack
You don’t need to “get better at writing.”
You don’t need perfect grammar
You don’t need another tactic
You need good ideas
(to execute, don’t skip this part)You need better ideas
The quality of your purpose-led biz depends on the quality of ideas you’re introducing.
Ok Aleks, but what if my writing really sucks?
What I told both my kids:
(this’ll make sense soon, entertain me for a sec)
I love to walk.
My partner walks.
My kids walk
Sometimes friends join us on walks.
(rarely without subtle complaints)
We’re walkers.
So naturally, when the kids started walking, we’d take them on long(er) walks.
They’d start complaining:
“I don’t want to walk no more...”
Guess what I told them every time?
Yeah, funny thing about walking.
Walk more, and you’ll walk better.
You’ll walk further.
The more you walk, the better it gets.
Walking = Writing
(bet you didn’t see that coming)
The more you write, the better it gets.
Both in terms of enjoying it.
As well as in terms of the reduced suck factor.
So, instead of learning more writing tactics...
You’re far better (and further) off focusing on filling your head with so many good ideas that you’d literally explode if you didn’t start writing them down.
And then hit publish.
But...
Aleks, I hear you saying:
“I still want the 7 rules for writing.”
I get it.
Prescription pills are in our very culture code...
We’re conditioned to seek proven formulas and tested templates:
We expect prescription medication on every corner.
And then complain when we get prescription (AI) writing.
So I won’t leave you hanging:
The 7 stupid simple rules of writing for the internet you need (to break them effectively)
Here it goes: my +6 years of online word writing wisdom.
(A whopping 1.17+ Rule per year of writing)
First things first:
Why write?
Fair question, let’s walk this through together....
Why walk? Cuz you got legs.
Write, cuz you got fingers.
Oh, and also:
Writing is THE meta-skill.
To master thinking. Write.
To process feelings. Write.
To connect with others. Write.
The internet is the new town square.
And the written word is its building block.
(da-bum-tsss)
Puns aside, words make up things:
email
video
blogs
copy
posts
There’s no walking out on writing, even in this fast-paced AI drivel word (yes, writing code is a form of writing too)
(capeesh?)
Now that Simon Sinek and Victor Frankl gave you your WHY...
You’re clear on the WHAT:
Build a permissionless lifestyle biz
Build a value-aligned community
Build a magnetic personal brand
Build a service or a product
This is the HOW:
clear thinking
compelling writing
effective persuasion
And this is the WAY:
The 7 stupid simple rules of writing for the internet you need (to break them effectively)
Read the best writers (through the ages)
Fiction, and non-fiction (yes, including marketers and ads)Study psychology (what makes us tick?)
Observe emotions, master persuasionStart with intention (what’s the point, it’s not word count?)
For every short-form post, email (sequence), or webpageWrite first, edit later (finish your own sentences)
2 very different processes needing 2 different mental modesWrite like you speak (to a good friend)
You’re not trying to prove you’re smart, this is not a PhD dissertationWrite like a musician (singing a great song)
You’re not a robot; length, variation, intonation are your friendsWrite like a Zen Monk (contemplating emptiness and form)
Empty space is key to content, it’s yin to your yang
Ok, ok, but how do I NOT sound like Copy Chameleon, and blend the f*ck in?
Glad you asked.
Style is the answer.
Literary.
Grab a headset and press play:
When everyone zigs, you zag, but then everyone zags, so you zog.
Despite the rage against copying...
...that’s literally how new styles are born.
This is not a LinkedIn thing.
It’s not a social media thing.
It’s not even an internet thing.
It’s a human thing.
Biology is mimicry; writing is no exception.
You start by copying others.
Until you develop something of your own.
Something that nails the Zeitgeist.
And then that gets copied...
Ad infinitum.
Regurgitation of the same ideas over and over again is not going away any time soon (like, ever)
(Desperate pleas or not)
So what now?
We kinda went full circle, we’re back SQUARE 1:
Forget the writing tactics!
Drown yourself in so many brilliant ideas that you’d literally explode if you didn’t write them down...
...and then go and write them down.
Not sure where to get good ideas?
You could have your head examined.
No, I don’t mean go see a shrink, tune into your imagination.
You’ll not be surprised to find that all ideas start as an image in someone’s head.
>> The place no one else can copy (yet, right Elon?)
Feeling social? (s)talk on LinkedIn.
As seen on Instagram.
-- Your writing (& walking) wingman
Aleksander Brankov
🤣🤣🤣 Thanks for flashing your style.