Part-1: The first ten days of 'Writing Wisdom Series'

If you follow me on LinkedIn or Instagram, you may have noticed that I recently started the “Writing Wisdom Series” — a 22-day journey to share the writing tips that shaped my craft.

Today marks the 10th day. In this post, I have curated all the nuggets I have shared thus far. Happy reading!

Day 1: Embrace the Power of Digital Writing 💻

My writing journey transformed after soaking in the insights from the book 'The Art And Business Of Online Writing' by Nicolas Cole. Do read its "20 best Quotes" here.

Day 2: Crafting a Niche🎯 

In "Don't Find a Niche. Create One," David Perell rejects the passive approach of seeking a niche, advocating for the active creation of one.

He emphasizes the importance of exploring uncharted territories and developing demand for novel ideas. Building a "Personal Monopoly" involves defining a unique subculture, differentiating from existing norms, and leveraging online differentiation for free marketing. Success lies in creating demand for ideas people didn't realize they were interested in. Read here

In "Find Your Niche Is Terrible Advice: Here's Why", Nicolas Cole rejects the notion of fitting in and finding a niche, asserting that standout creators don't fit anywhere. He criticizes the advice as promoting a competitive mindset, advocating instead for creating one's niche and establishing new categories for success in the creator economy. Read here.

Day 3: Learn to Develop an Engaging Writing Style✍️

To become a better writer, I strongly recommend reading two books:

1️⃣'On Writing Well': Author William Zinsser focuses on clarity, simplicity, and brevity. He imparts timeless principles for effective nonfiction writing. This classic is a must-read for writers seeking to refine their prose, emphasizing that good writing transcends genres. Read here

2️⃣'Telling True Stories' (Edited by Mark Kramer and Wendy Call): An indispensable resource for those who navigate the realm of nonfiction storytelling, this book offers essays filled with insights, techniques, and experiences from accomplished narrative journalists. Read here.

Day 4: Know The Art Of Persuasive Writing🤝

This is a skill that helps you make a real-world impact through your writing. Knowing how to convince someone to buy your product or change their opinions about a topic you care about is powerful.

Nicolas Cole and Dickie Bush in their article '3 Dead-Simple Techniques To Master The Art Of Persuasive Writing (Even If You're A Complete Beginner)' (Read here) share three powerful techniques for mastering persuasive writing.

1. The first technique, the Grease-Slide, advocates breaking down content into short, easily digestible sentences connected by transition words, creating a seamless flow.

2. The P.A.S. (Problem Agitate Solve) framework, their second technique, involves identifying a problem, agitating it, and offering a compelling solution.

3. Lastly, Hooks, the third technique, emphasizes attention-grabbing elements like questions, facts, or bold statements to capture and maintain reader interest.

I have personally used such a style of writing to win fellowships or grants in my career. With practice, I'm certain that anyone can do it.

Day 5: The Art of Crafting Headlines📢

Writing effective headlines for your writing is the first step in grabbing your reader's attention.

Here are some cool tips by Nicolas Cole and Dickie Bush in their essay: How To Write A Great Headline For An Article: 5 Simple Steps. (Read here.)

They delve into crafting compelling headlines, emphasizing the importance of setting reader expectations. They stress that a headline should convey the article's value to the reader, prompting them to trade their time for promised benefits.

The authors introduce five building blocks for effective headlines:

1. Addressing the reader specifically,

2. Specifying what the reader gains,

3. Indicating the number of ideas discussed,

4. Offering a reason for the reader's attention and,

5. Incorporating an emotional hook or "Knife Twist.

By combining these elements, writers can create clear, attention-grabbing headlines that entice readers to engage with their content. I'd also recommend writers read newspapers and online news sites to learn how effective headlines are crafted by journalists.

Day 6: Crafting Captivating Introductions 🎣

I love reading profiles that start with exceptional hooks. The Atlantic, New York, New Yorker, NYT, and The Caravan often begin their long form with such effective bangs. Learning this skill helps you in grabbing your reader's attention from the get-go. I often spend a lot of time enhancing the introductory paragraphs of my writing to keep my readers engaged.

Day 7: Write Engaging Subheadings📃

Good writing always has engaging subheadings. My go-to secret to learning the craft is to read long-form newspaper pieces, especially those that appear as weekend features. I've discovered that hidden gems lie in subheadings of just 3-4 words, a true art form. These snippets pack a punch, keeping readers hooked. You can elevate your writing game by exploring the concise brilliance tucked within these lines.

Day 8: Effectively Use Hyperlinks🔗

I believe it's essential to see fellow online writers as not competitors but as people from whom we can learn and grow together. Thus, whenever you link their articles or websites to your writings, it helps your readers to find out about other creators' niche publications.

Day 9: Create Impactful Visual Content 📸

You can always use photos from copyright-free websites like Pexels or Pixabay. You can even consider using AI-generated graphics and images that can add an extra layer of immersive reading experience for your audience.

Day 10: Craft Irresistible Calls to Action📣

When you master the art of Persuasive writing, I believe that you can also nail the magic of rightfully crafting a clear and precise Calls to Action (CTA).

Writer David Perell’s approach to getting thousands of new email subscribers, a case study by ConvertKit is a great example of what it takes to craft irresistible CTA. (Read here)

By providing concrete value propositions and addressing audience needs, effective CTAs compel readers to take action, thereby driving engagement and fostering relationships. Perell's approach underscores the importance of ROA (Return on Attention), highlighting the need for CTAs to deliver tangible benefits and resonate with the audience's interests.

That’s all for today.

Did you like reading this edition? Should I do better? Please don’t hesitate to offer me your feedback. I am open to ideas and suggestions. Feel free to reach me at [email protected] 

See you soon! Do forward this newsletter to your friends 😊❤️