5 Weird Writing Tips that Changed My Work
And not one of them has to do with "routine."
TL;DR
Most writing tips are reductionist, focused on your writing routine (as if we can all have the same day every day…). These five are weird but work:
Reframe around “you.”
Write the beginning later.
Stop when you synonym swap.
Only italicize for clarity, not voice.
Don’t start consecutive paragraphs with the same letter.
Scroll down to see this week’s 5 content ideas, none of which require you to swear an oath to the Grammar Police.
Confession: I hate writing routines.
Clarifying statement: Yes, you should probably have some kind of routine for yourself. But don’t expect it to look like anyone else’s.
My problem with much of the conventional writing advice out there is that it focuses on routine: “Write in the morning, edit in the afternoon.” “Take a walk if you get stuck.” “Use an outline.”
There’s nothing wrong with that advice, per se. But they don’t necessarily improve the quality of the writing that ends up on the page itself.
But these 5 Weird Tips have changed how I write—for the better:
#1. Reframe Around “You.”
You were probably taught in high school to never write to your reader directly. So now you write sentences like “One can see quickly that this system…” or “I saw quickly that this system…”
But the truth is that books aren’t written for yourself (me, myself, I) nor for some anonymous third party (one). They’re written for readers.
To build a stronger connection with your reader, speak directly to them: “You will quickly see that this system…”
Any time you catch yourself writing an “I” or “one” sentence, see if you can reframe it around the word “you” instead. 90% of the time, you can. The rest of the time, leave it. Don’t force an “I” sentence to become a “you” sentence when “I” makes the most sense.
Ex: “My favorite Disney movie is The Lion King” is clearer than “You should know that the Disney movie The Lion King is my favorite.” But for some personality you could say, “We can’t be friends if you don’t agree The Lion King is the greatest Disney movie ever.”
(FYI: We can still be friends. My wife’s favorite Disney movie is Peter Pan but I still love her.)
#2. Write the Beginning Later
Many authors find themselves mired in so-called “Writer’s Block” when they attach too much significance to the first few lines of a blog, book, post, etc.
Don’t get me wrong: hooks are important. Maybe the most important.
But they don’t usually come first. Write what you want to say first. Then find the most powerful, emotionally resonant, or shocking part of your message. That’s your beginning.
Remember: Reading is linear. Writing is not.
#3. Stop When You Synonym Swap
Last year, my client was telling me how revisions were going with his book and that he kept feeling the need to go back through a chapter and tweak the language. So I asked him, “Are you making actual changes to the meaning of the sentence or just swapping out synonyms?”
A lightbulb went off. “Oh, I’m just swapping out synonyms.”
He realized he had reached the point he needed to stop “revising.” He was actually perfectly happy with the content but had walked into the never-ending revisions trap. Once he figured this out, the rest of the book revisions went so much smoother.
#4. Only Italicize for Clarity, Not Voice
One of my own personal writing foibles is that I love to italicize. And I’ve always justified this as wanting to make sure the reader can “hear” my voice. But then my editor pointed out something:
“It can come across as condescending. Like you don’t think they’re smart enough to understand your meaning. Only italicize when there is the potential for lost clarity.”
Whoa.
Now, I still need to work on this one. But I definitely italicize far less now. (And this is why even book editors need their own book editor.)
#5. Don’t Start Consecutive Paragraphs with the Same Letter
Arguably one of the strangest writing tips I’ve ever come up with, but also one of the most effective. One day, I was working on a client project, trying to figure out why it wasn’t working. The line level writing was in good shape but something felt “off.”
Then I saw it. Four paragraphs in a row all started with the same letter. The visual repetition on the page made me realize the content was also feeling repetitive. So I played with the structure and made sure each paragraph started with a different letter. Suddenly, the content seemed to leap off the page, infused with new energy.
Once you start practicing this, you won’t be able to un-see it.
And since I don’t have a clever segue today, here are your 5 content ideas for this week, none of which follow any kind of theme other than the randomness of my brain:
What is your biggest win from the last year that doesn’t sound like a win?
What was the worst advice you ever followed?
Who would you invite to dinner if you could?
Who was your favorite teacher and why?
When was the last time you fell for a scam?
And if you’re a subscriber, I’ve got bonus content ideas for you down below.
Still looking for content ideas? Visit my Stan Store to Go from Zero to 100+ Content Ideas with 25 Questions.
Until next time, keep changing the world—one story at a time.
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