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For more writing rhythms, grab a copy of The Art & Business of Online Writing by
Nicolas Cole. There is an entire chapter dedicated to writing rhythms with dozens of
templates you can use in your own writing.
Rate Of Revelation
The final formatting piece we encourage writers to think about in Ship 30 for 30 is what
we like to call Rate of Revelation.
This is how quickly you are revealing new information to the reader.
On the Internet, writing that optimizes for SPEED tends to be the writing that gets the
most traction. If you notice, the essays or articles or Twitter threads that go viral aren't
the ones that spend 7 paragraphs describing the details on a doorknob. Readers don't
have the patience for that. Instead, readers want every single sentence to push the
story or point forward.
For example, here's what a SLOW Rate of Revelation might look like:
When it comes to building a daily writing habit, the hardest thing for most writers is
remembering the importance of just sitting down and writing. It can be difficult to get
yourself to write, but that’s part of the name of the game. And in moments you can’t
write, you have to remember that all writers go through this—it’s just part of the craft.
Now, here's what a FAST Rate of Revelation looks like:
When it comes to building a daily writing habit, there are three things that usually get in
a writer’s way. First, they over-edit. Second, they talk themselves out of the idea (“This
will never work. I’m better off just doing laundry.”) And third, their laptop runs out of
battery at the coffee shop (this happens more often than you might think).
Notice how in the second example, every single sentence is moving the idea forward.
A good rule of thumb here is to ask yourself, "Am I continuing to describe and repeat
something I already said? Or am I moving on and saying something new?"
Aim for the latter.
Framework #5: Content Differentiation
Writers will see a 10x improvement in their writing (and their ability to get the attention of
readers) just by learning how to write engaging headlines and formatting their online
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How To Start Writing Online: The Ship 30 For 30 Ultimate Guide