• Everybody can write well. It’s a matter of following certain rules regarding flow, style, formatting, and sentence structure.

Ch. 1: Everybody Writes 

• Take every form of writing seriously. Simple things like emails and texts give you a platform to practice your skills and get better as a writer. Have that mindset.
  • No matter what you’re writing, try to frame it really well. It’s all practice. 

Ch. 2: Writing is a Habit, Not an Art

• The key to writing well is to write a lot. Practice. 

Ch. 3: Shed High School Rules 

• There’s no one way to write. Writing is creative and flexible. It can be tailored to fit the needs of the situation.

Ch. 4: Regard Publishing as a Privilege   

• Every piece of content you write should be created to please the customer and show him/her how your product or service will help them. That’s all that matters.
  • People will only read what you write if something is in it for them. 
• Brevity — Don’t get too long-winded with your writing. Keep it concise. Cut the fat.
  • Quote (P. 24): “The notion of brevity has more to do with cutting fat, bloat, and things that indulge the writer and don’t respect the reader’s time. Keep it tight.”
    • Stephen King advises this as well. 

Ch. 5: Place the Most Important Words/Ideas at the Beginning of Each Sentence

• Be Clear — Always try to be clear in your writing. The absolute last thing you want to do is make people work (or “burn calories” as Donald Miller puts it in his book) to understand what you’re trying to get across. 
• You want to catch the reader’s attention right away, whether we’re talking a page, a paragraph, or even a sentence.
  • Put the most important info first. 
• Eliminate distracting filler words. Some of these include:
  • According to …
  • There is a …
  • It is (important, critical, advised, suggested, etc.) …
  • In my opinion …
  • In (insert year) …
  • I think (believe) that …

Ch. 6: Follow a Writing GPS 

• Process — Every writer needs one. A roadmap or outline helps you get from nothing to a final product. 12-step proposed process:
  1. Goal — What is the goal of the piece? This needs to be clearly defined. What are you trying to accomplish with it? This dictates everything, from the words you pick and way you frame the content to how long the piece is. You will then write to that goal. 
  2. Reframe — Who is the target audience? Why will the piece matter to the reader? What’s in it for them? Why should they care? What’s the takeaway you want them to have? How can you serve them with this piece? Get in their head and try to understand that.
     • Once you have the goal and reframed idea, write it out in one or two sentences and put it at the top of the paper. WRITE TO THAT GOAL AND REFRAMED IDEA!! It should be what guides you throughout the piece and shapes the content you write.
     • Ex. Our new text editor makes it stupid easy in three specific ways for those of you without a geek gene to easily work together from remote locales, without overriding each other’s stuff or losing earlier versions, which makes for happier, less frustrated collaborators. And you’ll get your work done faster, with less wasted effort.
  3. Find the Data — Find credible data to back up your content. Include it. 
  4. Organize — Decide how you want to format, frame, and present the information. Is it a how-to guide? Is it a list?
  5. Write to One Person — Write to one person and use “you” (rather than “people” or “they”) when writing. Focus on connecting the reader to the issue. 
  6. Produce the Ugly First Draft — Just get something down on paper. Don’t worry about grammar, vocabulary, readability, or anything else. Just get the main points down and then we can fine-tune it.
     • Good tip. I find myself always nitpicking on the first draft, which I think slows me down. 
  7. Walk Away — Take some time away. Come back with a fresh mind.
  8. Rewrite — Shape your first draft into something better. Fine-tune it. Make it more readable. 
  9. Give a Great Headline — Slap a good headline on it that communicates the main idea. 
  10. Have Someone Edit — Let someone you trust edit the piece and give you feedback. 
  11. One Final Look for Readability — Is the piece inviting and easy to scan? Does it have short paragraphs and bold subheads? Are your lists numbered or bulleted? Your piece needs to be easy to scan and readable. This is really important. People will not read the material if it looks like it’s going to be difficult to digest. People scan things nowadays.
  12. CTA — Slap a CTA at the bottom of the piece. Call the reader to action. If you don’t challenge them, they will not act.
      • Be specific with your CTAs. Don’t just say ‘Schedule an Appointment’ or ‘Get in Touch.’ Instead use specific language.
        • Ex. End Scheduling Hassles
        • Ex. Get Snow Removal Help.

Ch. 7: The More the Think, the Easier the Ink

• Quote (P. 34): “So, before you begin the writing, be sure you know the purpose or mission or objective of every piece that you write. What are you trying to achieve? What information, exactly, are you trying to communicate? And why should your audience care?”
  • ALWAYS figure out your goal/thesis for the piece before you write and then put it at the top of the page. WRITE TO THAT GOAL. 
• Use the so what?-because method to help you figure out why a reader should care about what you’re trying to promote.
  • Ex. Cambridge Connect
    • We have a Cambridge Connect event we want advisors to attend.
      • So what?
    • Because the event will have a ton of great information, networking opportunities, and guest speakers.
      • So what?
    • Because the information you will gather from the event will help you  better serve clients and grow your business. You will come away with an advantage after attending the event. 

Ch. 8: Organize, Relax, You’ve Got This

• Quote (P. 39): “Your preferred method for organizing a piece doesn’t matter. The point is to keep yourself focused and organized via sunset framework so you don’t me and her all over the place.”
  • It’s important to have a framework/structure that guides your writing.
    • This helps you write and it helps the reader digest the information. 
  • Ex. Five Ways to

Ch. 9: Embrace the Ugly First Draft 

• Put a first draft on paper — it doesn’t really matter how bad it is. Once you’ve got something down, you can begin to mold and shape it into something much better.
  • A lot of writing paralysis occurs because we expect too much on the first draft. It’s not going to be perfect right away. 
• The key is to be an excellent editor of your work. But the first step is to get it down.
  • Don’t worry about finding the right words in the first draft. 
  • Don’t stress over getting the perfect vocabulary in there. You can play with that later. 
  • Don’t worry about poor grammar or sentence structure. Again, all of that can be fixed later. 
• The first draft is all about unleashing ideas rather than pure writing. 

Ch. 10: Swap Places With Your Reader 

• Quote (P. 44): “Good writing serves the reader, not the writer. It isn’t self-indulgent.”
  • The reader does not care about how great you or the company is. They care about themselves and solving their issues. You have to explain how your product or service does that. 
• Get in your reader’s head. Figure out what they want. Explain how your profile t or service will help them. 
• Never let your focus leave the reader. The reader/target audience is where all of your attention should be when crafting content. 

Ch. 11: Humor Comes on the Rewrite

• The best writing comes on the rewrite. Again, the first draft is just to get something down.

Ch. 12: Develop Pathological Empathy 

• Be empathetic of your reader and target audience. Put yourself in their shoes. 
• Write content that will address your reader’s pain points. 
• Quote (P. 47): “What matters now is creating useful content that solves customer problems, shoulders their burdens, eases their pain, and enriches their lives.”
  • All of your pages should do this:
    • Landing pages
    • Product pages 
    • About Us
    • Customer support text
• Never just talk about what your product is. Talk about how it will help the customer. 
• Use the word ‘you’ rather than ‘we’ or ‘I’.

Ch. 13: Cross Out the Wrong Words 

• Self- Editing Process:
  1. Developmental Editing — Editing by chainsaw. Here’s where you look at the big picture.
     • State your main idea very quickly at the start. Don’t waste time and words.
     • Slash anything that is distracting and doesn’t align with your main idea. 
     • Slash sentences that repeat themselves. 
     • Many writers take too long to get to the points and they use too many words. Don’t do that. Be concise. Less is more. 
  2. Line Editing — Editing by surgical tools. Here’s where you look at paragraph and sentence flow, word choice, usage, and so on.
     • Trim the fat. Cut unnecessary words and adjectives.
     • Shed obvious statements or qualifiers. 
     • Sub in single words for phrases.
       • Ex. ‘Although’ instead of ‘despite the fact.’
     • Create great transitions between paragraphs.

Ch. 14: Start With Dear Mom

• To avoid writer’s block, write ‘Dear Mom’ just to get started.

Ch. 15: If You Take a Running Start, Cover Your Tracks 

• Get to the main point quickly. Try to avoid too much unnecessary setup and background at the start.
  • If you do happen to do this, go back and try to trim it or wipe it out completely in the rewrite.
    • You want to get to the main idea quickly and directly. Readers have a short attention span — you need to get to the point quickly. 

Ch. 16: Notice Where Words Appear in Relation to Others Around Them

• Think twice before putting the word only before a verb. Only is a word that is often misplaced in a sentence.
  • Ex. Incorrect — Only publish good content. 
  • Ex. Correct — Publish only good content.
    • Why? Because you’re not saying “only publish”, you’re trying to say “publish, but only publish good content.”
• Sentence structure is very important. Pay attention to your modifiers and keep an eye out for misplaced words in a sentence.
  • Sentence and paragraph structure (and word selection) are like a puzzle — a good writer is always playing around with different pieces to make the puzzle work. 

Ch. 17: A Good Lede Invites You to the Party and a Good Kicker Makes You Wish You Could Stay Longer

• Lede — The first sentence of the piece. Sets the table and should ‘hook’ the reader and grab their attention right away. A few options include:
  1. Put Your Reader Into the Story — Set the scene with a descriptive opening that describes a certain scenario. You’re trying to place your reader into the scene. 
  2. Describe a Problem Your Reader Can Relate To — Open by hitting a pain point. 
  3. Ask a Question — Ask a question to set the stage. Then answer it. 
  4. Quote a Crazy or a Controversial Bit of Data — Reveal a wild stat that sets the table for your main idea. Then build on it. 
  5. Tell a Story or Relay a Personal Anecdote — Start with a personal story that gets you into the main idea. 
• Kicker — The very end of the piece. Ties everything g together and ends the content with a bang. Should almost always include a CTA. Challenge the reader to action because they will not take action otherwise. A few options include:
  1. Recast the Biggest Takeaway of the Piece — Restate the main point of the piece. Summarize it. 
  2. Let Others Have the Last Word — Consider ending with a quote. Leave the reader with a quote. That’s a good way to end an article or paper.

Ch. 18: Show, Don’t Tell

• You take your writing and marketing to another level when you’re able to show HOW your product or service has already, or is, helping people.
  • Any time you can provide customer testimonials in your writing or website, DO IT. Also, if you have really good data that shows how you’ve helped accomplish goals, use those. 
  • People want to see how other people have benefited from your product or service. 
  • Interview clients to get some good inside information on how your product or service has helped. Then use that content in your marketing materials. 
  • Ex. Cambridge — ‘Success stories’ project with Monte and Greg. The idea was to show how Cambridge has helped them build their businesses.  
• Be detailed in your writing. Details give the reader a better chance of grasping what you’re trying to say.
  • Ex. Dog — Use ‘pitbull’ instead of ‘dog.’

Ch. 19: Use Familiar Yet Surprising Analogies 

• Put obscure numbers in perspective by using analogies.
  • Ex. Accounts — You could say you gained 840 new accounts in 2014. Or you could say that and then point out how that number is more than the capacity of the London Eye. 

Ch. 20: Approach Writing Like Teaching 

• Be very specific and detailed with your writing. Pretend the reader has zero clue about you or the company/product/service. 
• Don’t just tell customers what your product or service is, tell them why it will help them. 

Ch. 21: Keep it Simple — But Not Simplistic

• Quote (P. 72): “Good content deconstructs the complex to make it easily understood: It sheds the Frankenspeak. It converts things in concise, human, accessible terms.”
  • Good writing will distill difficult topics or products into simple and easily digestible content.
    • Make it easy on the customer. One of your goals is to make it as easy to understand for the reader as possible. 
• Keeping it simple:

1. 1. 1. Find the best fit for your message

• 1. • Sometimes it’s writing, sometimes it’s video. Sometimes it’s a chart or a graph. 

1. 1. 2. Design with your words, rather than fitting words into a design 

• 1. • White space is a prerequisite, not a luxury. Use white space to your advantage in the design. It helps the reader tremendously. 
     • Make the words the hero of the design. The design should support the words. 

Ch. 22: Find a Writing Buddy

• Writing buddies can help you become better.

Ch. 23: Avoid Writing by Committee 

• Be selective in who you allow to edit your work. 
• When getting approvals on your work, keep these tips in mind:
  1. Get clearance on your outline before you start writing anything. 
     • You can save yourself a lot of time, effort, and frustration by doing this.
  2. Seek an OK, not opinions.
     • Use “please approve” rather than “please let me know your suggestions.” You’re more likely to get fewer edits. 

Ch. 24: Hire a Great Editor

• Work with skilled editors who will enhance your writing. 

Ch. 25: Be Rabid About Readability 

• Readability is so important. People will not read the material if it’s not visually appealing. Tips on readability:
  • Shorter paragraphs 
  • Bulleted and numbered lists
  • Subheadings to break up text
  • Highlight or bold key points
  • Design call outs for quotes and key points
  • Visual elements like graphics and photos
  • Lots of white space to give the text room to breathe 
• The Flesch-Kincaid Method — Developed by Austrian Rudolf Flesch, who fled to the U.S. to avoid the Nazis. He created a readability meter based on the way the human mind works.
  • The scale is available in Microsoft Word.
    • The higher the score, the easier the piece is to understand. 
    • You want at least an 80. 
  • Quote (P. 81): “When any of us is reading, the mind and eyes focus on successive points, allowing for a tentative judgment to be made about what the next text means up to that point. Natural breaks in the text — such as punctuation marks or new paragraphs — allow the mind to reevaluate the text up to that point, because the mind stops for a split second, until it eventually arrives at the final meaning. So, the longer the word, sentence, or paragraph, the longer the brain has to postpone comprehending ideas until it can reach a point where all of the words, together, make sense. Because they require more mental work by the reader, longer words and sentences are harder to read and understand.”

Ch. 26: End on an I-Can’t-Wait-to-Get-Back-to-It Note

• If you’re not able to finish a writing project in one of your sessions, leave it at a spot where it will be easy to pick it up again the next day.
  • The purpose of doing this is momentum. The next time you come back to work on the project, you’ll be able to quickly get back into it rather than struggling just to get a few words or idea me down.
    • You give yourself something easy to get started the next time you work on the project. 
    • This helps you avoid procrastination as well — you’re eager to get back to the project. 

Ch. 27: Set a Goal Based on Word Count (Not Time)

• When working on a writing project, shoot for a certain number of words each day.
  • 750 words is about 3 pages of text and is a good goal to shoot for.

Ch. 28: Deadlines are the WD-40 of Writing

• Give yourself a hard deadline and stick to it.