The #1 habit that improved my writing...

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This past week, I gave my first masterclass workshop for a software company called Hypefury.

It was an incredible full-circle moment.

Only a few years ago, I was the one attending workshops and binge-listening to the Hypefury Presents podcast… hungry to learn everything there was to this online content game.

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And when I say I was obsessed, I mean I was obsessed.

• Early morning writing sessions? Yep.

• Late nights reading books on writing? You bet.

• Tweeting and replying to comments between classes? Affirmative.

If I’m being honest, I wasn’t obsessed because I was curious about writing. I was obsessed because I sucked at it.

When I look back on my old writing, I physically cringe.

I’ve been writing online for over 3 years now, and while I still know I have so much room to improve—I’ve picked up a thing or two about writing online.

In my masterclass, I shared a framework I used to accelerate my learning curve.

I call it the 3S Method:

Step one: Search

Most people passively scroll social media for entertainment or distraction. Instead, I like to view myself as an idea hunter.

You’re not scrolling, You’re hunting. You’re researching. You’re finding ways to improve your own writing.

How?

Well, every time you come across a tweet or hook that captures your attention… pay attention to it!

Step two: Save

Next, bookmark that tweet to a folder.

Over time, that folder becomes a gold mine for inspiration.

Step three: Systematize

The last (and most important step) is to reverse engineer why it captured your attention.

For every piece of content in my bookmarks folder, I’ll try to:

1. Identify why it captured my attention

2. Turn the tweet into a template

3. Write 1-3 variations of it

This is my favorite way to learn how to write for the internet.

Ok. That sounds easy enough. But inevitably, this process brings up questions like:

“Don’t templates stifle your creativity?”

“Aren’t templates are just copying other people?”

“Won’t templates make me sound like a robot?”

All valid questions. So let’s unpack them.

Do templates stifle your creativity?

To me, the goal isn’t to use templates forever. It’s simply to learn how to structure your writing.

Let me ask you a question:

How do you learn to paint?

By painting other people’s art work.

You don’t buy a canvas and some paint, and immediately fabricate the Mona Lisa.

No, first you imitate, then you innovate.

Templates doesn’t stifle creativity, they enable it.

Won’t templates make me sound like a robot?

That depends.

Are you simply copy/pasting their words as your own? Then that’s plagiarism.

If you use templates as a starting point (not as an ending point) - that’s when you create something entirely new.

As Pablo Picasso said, “Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist.”

Isn’t using templates just copying others?

The way I like to view templates is like learning how to ride a bike.

Templates are the training wheels to your writing.

Because the truth is, writing is hard. It’s overwhelming.

Can you learn how to write without using templates? Of course.

But why make it harder on yourself?

As I mentioned in last week’s newsletter, I’m not going to pretend I’m a writing guru who has it all figured out. Because I don’t.

I’m not here to share the best or the only way to learn how to write.

I’m only sharing what worked best for me.

Search. Save. Systematize.

See you next Sunday,

Jay “templates aren’t evil” Yang

Ps.

Since using the 3S Method, I’ve put together a database of over 125+ content templates (for short-form & long-form content).

They’ve helped me write content for myself and my clients that’s garnered 100M+ impressions.

If you’re interested in learning more, register for the waitlist here.

Top Tweets of The Week

The obsessed don’t force themselves to start working. They force themselves to stop.

Agreed. Highest performers I know are forces of nature. Even just hanging around them, you feel more alive.

Great reflection questions.

Customer first. Always.

Lol.

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