- Tim at Penfriend
- Posts
- How I Write Better
Day 71/100
Hey - It's Tim.
Everything I Know About Writing Better
(From a guy who doesn’t call himself a writer. Just types a lot.)
I’m not a writer.
I don’t identify as one.
But I’ve typed more than most.
Every day.
A thousand times a day.
Blog intros. Landing pages. Half tweets. Deleted newsletters.
(Like five versions of this one.)
Here’s what I’ve learned:
1. Kill your darlings
If it’s clever but doesn’t serve the reader — it dies.
Example:
❌ “As the sun sets on the marketing landscape…”
✅ “Marketing changed. Here’s how to keep up.”
2. A great sentence is a good sentence made shorter
Big shout out to Harry Dry for this one. This one hit me the hardest by far.
Most edits are just you deleting the stuff you added when you were trying too hard.
Example:
❌ “We really believe that great content can truly drive results.”
✅ “Great content drives results.”
3. Never write “in this blog post, we’ll…”
You’re stalling. Just deliver the goods.
Example:
❌ “In this article, we’ll explain 5 SEO tips.”
✅ “Here are 5 SEO tips that actually work.”
4. Say smart things simply
If they have to reread it, you’ve already lost.
Example:
❌ “Facilitate asynchronous communication through modular workflows.”
✅ “Let your team work when they want.”
5. Every paragraph should fight to exist
If it doesn’t push the piece forward, it holds it back.
Example:
❌ "Marketing is important. Everyone knows this. In today’s age of digital transformation..."
✅ Skip it. Get to the point.
6. Write like you talk
You, but a little sharper.
Example:
❌ “The following considerations must be taken into account…”
✅ “Here’s what you should think about.”
7. Don’t try to be funny
Funny happens. Forced humor dies a lonely death.
Example:
❌ “SEO is like a needy ex — always changing and hard to please 😂😂😂”
✅ “SEO changes fast. Blink and your rankings are gone.”
8. Use a period where you'd normally apologize with a comma
It sharpens your tone.
Example:
❌ “We wanted to let you know, the feature’s delayed.”
✅ “The feature’s delayed. Here’s what’s next.”
9. Nobody cares about your clever analogy
Unless it’s unforgettable.
Example:
❌ “Writing is like baking. You need the right ingredients.”
✅ “Writing is like wrestling a bear in a phone booth. It’s messy. You will get bit.”
10. Don’t write to fill space
Create tension. Earn every line.
Example:
❌ “Let’s first define what content marketing is.”
✅ “You already know what content marketing is.
Let’s talk about why yours isn’t working.”
11. Don’t explain what you’re about to say
Just say it.
Example:
❌ “I’d like to share three points about onboarding.”
✅ “New users leave for three reasons.”
12. Hide the vegetables
Lead with what’s tasty.
Example:
❌ “Content frameworks help with consistency.”
✅ “This 3-part format gets 4x more reads.”
13. Break the wall
Write like you’re in their inbox, not on a podium.
Example:
“You ever open a doc and immediately regret everything? Yeah. Me too.”
14. No “however,” “thus,” or “moreover”
You’re not a lawyer.
Example:
❌ “However, this approach may not scale.”
✅ “This won’t scale.”
15. The point of writing is to be read
Not praised.
Example:
❌ “Our proprietary SaaS stack leverages synergies...”
✅ “Here’s how our software helps you make more money.”
16. Don’t waste their time
No warmups. No icebreakers. Get in.
Example:
❌ “Hope you're having a great week!”
✅ “This saves you 4 hours a week.”
17. Clean beats clever
If you’re unsure which to use - go clean.
Example:
❌ “Our marketing’s on fleek!”
✅ “Our marketing works.”
18. Don’t hedge
No “maybe,” “kind of,” “a bit.”
Example:
❌ “You might want to consider updating your copy.”
✅ “Update your copy. It’s costing you conversions.”
19. Start strong
The first line decides everything.
Example:
❌ “Marketing is evolving rapidly across all sectors…”
✅ “Most marketers are 3 months behind. You?”
20. End stronger
Leave something sticky.
Example:
❌ “Hope this was helpful.”
✅ “Write like they owe you money.”
21. Format for brains
People don’t read. They scan. Help them.
Example:
Use:
Short paragraphs
Bullets
Bold lines
Breaks
22. If it’s boring to write, it’s boring to read
You can feel it. Trust that.
Example:
❌ “Next, let’s look at the definition of keyword density…”
✅ “If you’re still stuffing keywords, stop. It’s 2025.”
23. Use dialogue
Mimic how people talk.
Example:
Me: “Why isn’t this converting?”
You: “Because you wrote it for yourself.”
24. One idea per paragraph
Let ideas breathe.
Example:
❌ “This helps with conversions, improves UX, and boosts SEO.”
✅ Break it into three lines.
25. Voice matters more than topic
People read people.
Example:
“I wrote this on my phone, on a chairlift, mid panic attack. And it still converted better than our agency’s best work.”
26. Build momentum
Stack short sentences. Then release.
Example:
They clicked.
They scrolled.
They paused.
Then they bought.
27. When in doubt, write badly
Typing anything beats thinking everything.
Example:
[Bad start] “Okay so like... the point of this blog is maybe about headlines or something?”
→ Edit. Shape. Refine. But only after you’ve typed it.
First up, a massive THANK YOU to the 250+ new folks who joined yesterday for my Technical SEO Masterclass.
Welcome aboard!
For those looking to revisit that 10,000-word beast:
→ Part 1: Full Technical SEO audit guide
→ Part 2: Technical SEO Companion
Remember, it's subscriber-exclusive for the next week.
Want to contribute? Just reply to this email.
You'll get a personal thanks and a backlink from my DR51 site.
I’m not trying to teach you anything here.
I’m just showing you what I tell myself.
When the cursor blinks.
When the edit hurts.
When the draft feels dead but might still come alive.
You don’t need to write like a genius.
You just need to give a damn.
And hit publish.
See you tomorrow.
✌️ Tim "f*ck comma’s" Hanson
CMO @Penfriend.ai
Same brain, different platforms: X, Threads, LinkedIn.
P.S.
I didn’t write this to teach you how to write.
I wrote it to remind myself.
Every rule above? I’ve broken it.
Probably this week.
So bookmark it. Break it. Bleed on it.
Then get back to typing.
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