25 Simple Digital Writing Tips For 2025
This could be your year.
You can (probably) remove most adverbs.
Don’t use too many dashes — like these. They get annoying — like here. Or maybe if I use it again you’ll see — it’s really not adding much to the segment.
The differences between a whiny story and an uplifting one are the tone and the ending. Write your problems into your power by solving them and teaching others how to do the same.
The emotions you think are unnecessary or exaggerated will make the story more readable and interesting. It’s only whiny if you’re giving up on yourself and expecting the reader to help you.
The more drafts you write, the better it gets. Until it doesn’t. Part of being a good writer is not over-editing.
Good writers vary sentence length and structure. Use this image as a guide.
The more you publish, the more you learn. Digital writing is a video game that you need to play a lot to win.
Build a writing routine. Unique work comes from effective systems and an ability to embrace the monotony of routine. Here’s my daily writing system.
Stop checking your email and social media before you’ve written something. This is like eating dessert before dinner. Stop killing your creative energy. This has been a bad habit of mine time and time again over the years.
Surround yourself with people and ideas that inspire you. Discard the dead weight. This is why many writers prefer books to people.
Good writing is valuable. It either educates, entertains, or inspires action. Everything that you write should do one of these 3 things.
The best way to make money with your writing is to solve a problem. If you don’t know what the “right” problem to solve is, solve your own and then offer to do it for someone else.
It’s impossible to stand out if you try to sound exactly like the most popular creators. Stop trying to be someone who’s already being themselves.
Read good books. Fiction and nonfiction. Even if you’re a nonfiction writer, there’s a benefit to reading both. Here’s a good reading list for writers.
You don’t sound like a broken record to the person who just discovered you yesterday. It’s good to evolve and it’s also not bad to repeat good ideas.
Stop calling it “a Substack” and start calling it your work, your newsletter, or your writing. Don’t allow yourself to become married to a platform. You’re a writer, not a Substacker.
It’s okay if you’re not making sales or going viral. It’s not okay if you’re not making iterations.
“Viral content” is not as valuable as building something useful for both you and your reader. Solve your biggest problems from the last 2-5 years and sell the solutions via writing.
Read it aloud (slowly) to check for typos.
Haters are good unless you secretly agree with the hater.
As important as it is to learn and consume new information, silence is equally important. Schedule it if you must. Don’t become a writer who’s listening to audiobooks at 4x speed because it’s what some productivity guru said.
Tweets become atomic essays which become articles which become ebooks which become books. Walk before you run.
Most of the time, the writing process looks more like training for a sport than it does “creating art”. You thought this was going to be easy?
Every writer needs to have a newsletter. Substack is the easiest one to use but there are plenty of options. At this point, I’m using Substack for my main newsletter and Kit for email automation.
If you want to (and can stay accountable), you can become a full-time writer in the next 12 months. I can show you how.
Also, I wrote a book!
And now, you can pre-order the Kindle version.
A Grappler's Diary: 151 Notes on the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Experience is officially available for pre-order.
I wrote this book over the last 2 years.
These years were some of the most transformational years of my Jiu-Jitsu career. I moved my whole life for training, competed in ADCC, suffered some devastating injuries and losses, and traveled the world teaching and competing.
I learned some things about our sport, myself, and the world, and I tried to break them down into clear and concise notes as they happened. Like a journal (or a "diary").
This book contains personal stories, training tips, and even some life lessons (but I promise not an annoying amount of those).
(The paperback will be available for purchase on 1/13/2025)
If you want to work with me 1-1, my writing coaching program will be live in just a few more weeks.
This program will help you build an audience, find your first writing clients, and establish credibility so that you can begin your journey toward making a full-time living with your words on the internet.
Thanks for reading another edition of The Modern Writer!
If you liked this post, share it with friends! Or, give it a ❤️ so that more people can discover it on Substack :)
Exactly what I needed to read today, appreciate the advice!
You won’t do a BJJ Fanatics course on writing and its benefits to optimize the grappler’s life both on and off the mats…