The posts I hate writing... and why they work anyway

_{Day 77/100}

Hey — Tim here.

Today’s newsletter did not come easily.

I tried to write about SEO experiments.
Then distribution frameworks.
Then a meme post about WordArt.

Hated them all.
Closed the doc.
Opened it again.
Went for a run.
Sat back down.
Scrolled memes for 17 minutes.
Still nothing.

And then I remembered something:

So here’s your reminder:
If you’re stuck today, show the stuck.
If your post is dragging, write about the drag.
If the work is a mess, talk about the mess.

The draft.
The false starts.
The 17 tabs open.
The 3pm coffee + crisis combo.
Hell, the 1am coffee… iykyk

That is content.
It’s relatable.
It’s real.
And it often performs better than the polished version you were trying to force out.

How I Turn My Crisis Into Content

1. Screenshot the mess.

Google Doc chaos? Half-written tweets? Planner full of ✖️s?
That’s your lead image.

2. Narrate the spiral.

Write the timeline of how things fell apart.

• “9am: Confident.”

• “11am: 17 tabs open.”

• “2pm: Existential dread.”

• “4pm: Publish anyway.”
  The gap between expectation and reality is the story.

3. Find the one line you did like.

Every trash draft has a line worth saving.
Highlight it. Build from it. That becomes your thesis.

4. Share the lesson, not the failure.

What did this process teach you?
Even if it’s just “consistency beats clarity,” say that.
Then hit publish.

5. Add a wink.

Humor buys forgiveness.
Call yourself out before anyone else does.

Anyway—
If you’ve got a messy half-written draft lying around,
that might be your next best post.

✌️ Tim "Buffered For 14 Years Straight" Hanson
CMO @Penfriend.ai

Same brain, different platforms: X, Threads, LinkedIn.

P.S. Not saying I cried while writing this. But let’s just say I had Feel Good Inc. on loop and stared into the void for a bit.

P.P.S. Is there anything you want me to write about? I’m all for ideas. And I’ll give you a link for the idea. Just shoot me a reply and I’ll add it to the list.

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