Thread by Dickie Bush

twitter.com
3 Recommenders
3 Mentions
Recommend
Post
Save
Complete
Collect
Thread
I spent over 1,000 hours learning to write effectively— because college completely failed to teach me.

Here's everything I learned distilled into 11 tweets (that you can start applying today):
The best writing is not a result.

It's a byproduct.

• Daily consistency
• Taking long walks
• Blocking the internet
• Capturing ideas everywhere
• Reading high-quality sources
• Spending time without my phone

Build the writing system that makes great writing inevitable.
There will never be a perfect time to start writing.

The "Once I ... then I'll start writing" is the ultimate form of procrastination.

• Once work slows down
• Once I feel like I am ready
• Once this project wraps up

The "Onces" will always be there - so get started today.
When writing, stop trying to write something to everyone.

Instead, be specific and pinpoint your one ideal reader.

• Use specific examples
• Solve a specific problem
• Unlock a specific benefit
• Create a specific emotion
• Encourage a specific action

Specificity wins.
Stop thinking of it as "writing."

Instead, start thinking of your writing like a startup.

• Ship an MVP
• Talk to users
• Prioritize distribution
• Solve specific problems
• Focus on reader experience
• Say something different, not better

The best part: you're the CEO.
Copywriting is simple.

• Point out a specific problem
• Point out the specific benefits of solving it
• Position your product as the obvious solution

If any of your copy doesn't fall into one of these 3 buckets, cut it.
You should write about 2 things:

• Things that are obvious to you now, but weren't 2 years ago

• Things that are confusing to you now, but you want to better understand in 2 years

This is a simple framework for continuous learning while building credibility along the way.
Writing and editing are different processes.

"Writing" is all addition - getting raw material out of your head and onto a page.

In this stage, rip out your backspace button.

*Editing* is all subtraction.

In this stage, put your backspace key back and rip out everything else.
You don't have to be an expert to write about something.

In fact, people struggle to learn from experts (because they're too far ahead).

It's easier to learn from someone just 1 step ahead of you.

So start learning things and distilling them for those on the same path as you.
If you want to write consistently, you need to capture ideas.

Everywhere.

• Quick capture on your phone
• Whiteboards in the shower
• Notebooks all over the place

Once your mind trusts you can have ideas anywhere, it's free to be creative - and you'll soon be overwhelmed.
If your goal is to accelerate your personal growth, writing is the most effective tool.

• Clearer thinking
• New friendships
• Daily consistency
• Learning new topics
• Increased awareness
• Foundational skill you can apply anywhere

Hard to find anything else like it.
And lastly, the single best piece of writing advice:

Be clear, not clever.

Your attempts to be clever lead to nothing but confusion.

And the second your reader is confused, they're back to TikTok and Netflix.
Thanks for reading!

If you're looking to start writing online, here's an in-depth, 13,000-word ultimate guide to help you get there:

startwritingonline.com
For more frameworks like this, follow me.

→ I'm @dickiebush

Also, which one was most useful?

Hit reply or quote tweet the top tweet with your biggest takeaway.

You can jump back to the top here:


Mentions
See All