Becoming a Better Writer

Writing is the easy part. Thinking is much harder.

If you want to become a better writer, you first must become a better thinker. Writing is a form of expression that helps an individual communicate their way of thinking to a broader audience.

Also, writing is important because it scales and can last forever.

I recently came upon a good guide on how to improve your writing by Julian Shapiro. It’s a really helpful deep dive into the philosophy of writing, the mechanics of it, and how to set up a strong writing process. It’s full of concrete examples that are easy to follow. The section that particularly stood out to me is how to write better hooks, an attention-grabbing opening that intrigues your audience to continue reading on.

From Julian:

What exactly is a hook?

A hook is any half-told story:

Hooks tease your best talking points. They urge readers to keep reading by triggering the storytelling machinery in their heads.

How to generate hooks

You create hooks by finding questions you want answers to:

Learn more tips on how to become a better writer from Julian Shapiro’s Handbook on Writing Well.