How to write
We have to know how to write effectively in some capacity. But you don't have to be the best at writing.
“The better you write, the higher you will go in Ogilvy & Mather. People who think well, write well. Good writing is not a natural gift. You have to learn to write well.”
Most people don’t understand the power you’ll get when you write well.
No. I’m not just talking about climbing the corporate ladder much more easily. It’s more than that.
Writing well is a superpower in all facets of life, and even if you’re not good at it, you still have to write well in some capacity.
Why? Communication.
Communication is key.
Think about your social media, research papers, or just messages to your friends and families—they all require writing. Clear writing.
One of the most legendary marketers of all time: David Ogilvy, wrote an internal memo to the employees of his advertising agency titled “How to write.” —in just 10 bullet points. I’m sure these will make you a better writer in no time.
Let’s break down each one.
Read the Roman-Raphaelson book on writing. Read it three times.
This is a classic book that everyone should read—whether you’re a copywriter, employee, manager, founder…
Take notes, try the tips mentioned, and see how your writing improves.
Write the way you talk. Naturally.
ChatGPT made most people sound like robots. At one glance you can tell what is ChatGPT-written or human-written.
There’s no need to find your writing voice either—in fact it’s a complete waste of time.
You already have your voice—the one you use every single day.
How you can start writing naturally?
Write like how you write your journal
Record yourself talking about a topic. Then, transcribe it.
Use short words, short sentences, and short paragraphs.
This one takes practice. Because short, medium, and long sentences create rhythm.
However, most of the time, writing can be shortened. Humans love to ‘yap’ a lot.
The easiest way to find when you're being too wordy is reading everything aloud before you publish it.
When you find yourself getting caught up, it's a sign you need to simplify.
Never use jargon words like "reconceptualizes, demassification, attitudinally, judgementally.” They are a hallmark of a pretentious ass.
🚫 “I need to include all kinds of fancy words to sound professional, credible, and trustworthy.”
✅ “You’re not likely to get the results you seek if your writing is murky, long-winded, bogged down by jargon, and topsyturvy in its order of thought.”
Here's how to think about jargon: When you see someone using big, fancy words every so often, they’re hiding their lack of understanding. It’s the ability to deconstruct a highly technical thing into a few simple words for easier understanding that’s ingenious.
Einstein said, “Make everything as simple as possible but not simpler.”
An easy solution: pretend you are writing to an 8th grader.
Never write more than two pages on any subject
99% of books should be blog posts.
And 99% of blog posts should be tweets.
If it can't fit in two pages, it should be simpler.
Check your quotations.
Always check your quotation. Misquotes are unforced errors. Always check.
Never send a letter or memo on the day you write it. Read it aloud the next morning—and then edit it.
If you are publishing something important, always, always, give it room to breathe.
Don’t rush your writing. Don’t rush reading it either. Read it aloud and listen to the flow and structure of the sentences.
If it is something important, get a colleague to improve it.
This pairs nicely with point number 7. Once you’re done writing, give it to someone to read. We often miss out on the small things like quotations, grammar errors, and spelling errors.
Here's how Tim Ferriss requests edits:
Highlight anything that is confusing.
Highlight any points where your mind starts to wander.
Indicate the 10% of the piece that I need to keep no matter what.
Before you send your letter or memo, make sure it is crystal clear what you want the recipient to do.
This is so simple but easy to forget.
“Putting down first what you want the reader to do, next the three most important things the reader needs to understand to take that action, then starting to write.”
It’s no different at work. Here’s a framework from Wes Kao mentioned in her article 15 principles of managing up:
“Put your recommendation, action item, or question at the top, then context below. This allows folks to read as much or little of the context as they need. This is especially useful for remote teams, where a hefty amounts information is communicated asynchronously and in writing.
🚫 Action items, backstory, bottlenecks, and context all jumbled together
✅ Action items or question at the top, context separately below”
If you want ACTION, don't write. Go and tell the guy what you want.
Last but not least, writing should never replace a targeted conversation. Direct conversations, especially for emails and messages that require action, are often more effective and impactful.
The best writers will shape the future. Similarly, companies that cultivate a culture of writing will also shape the future.
If this newsletter resonates with you, here are three more ways I can help:
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Book me as a keynote speaker. Reach out at alvis (at) designlabb (dot) cc
Glad to see you here.
See you next week,
Alvis