i have some questions for you

but first, some thoughts on writing

No regular newsletter today because this girl needs to GET her shit TOGETHER!

Balancing Substack with my full time job means I often fall terribly behind on life admin (like groceries, bills, and fresh air). So, I’m taking today to get back on top of ~life~ because I’m 25 now, and some things are no longer cute (like starvation due to laziness).

But I loathe to leave you empty handed on a Wednesday, so I come bearing gifts in the form of some advice and a request.

Let’s start with the advice. Over the last few days, I’ve had a number of great conversations about writing. Along with that, a few people have asked for my advice on how to improve theirs. In a perfect world, I’d crowdsource tips from my favorite Substack writers, but time will not permit, so this will have to suffice.

The first and most obvious thing you need to do is simply practice. If possible, practice in public because you’ll get feedback faster and therefore improve faster. It took me almost two years of wanting to do this to finally start, so I know it’s hard. But it’s necessary.

The second, more overlooked thing you have to do is read. A LOT. You don’t even need to read the kind of things you want to write. Actually, if possible, you should read a wide range of genres and formats. The reason this is important is that reading helps develop taste—not taste in terms of what is good, but in terms of what you like. I think that’s much more important. I write nonfiction, specifically a mix of reporting and social commentary. Last year, I read 160+ books, all fiction, and this year, I’ve read 80+ books so far. And this is on top of all the Substacks and articles I read daily. Because I read so much, I have a pretty good sense of what I consider good writing, which is writing that 1.) sounds good and 2.) makes sound arguments. In other words, writing that uses the right words to say the right things.

It’s hard to describe writing that sounds good, but I think you know what I mean. Sometimes, you just like the way someone’s writing sounds. You like their narrative voice. Maybe it’s short, clippy, and witty (my preference), or descriptive and flowery (which I like less). This is not as subjective as it seems because what matters isn’t what the voice is, but that you can recognize it. I find that people sometimes struggle to get their voice (and thus their personality) across through their words. Reading consistently will help you identify what you like in voice and language, expand your vocabulary, and teach you what good writing is. It’ll refine your taste.

Also, an easy way to figure out your narrative voice is to write how you speak. Use punctuation to create pauses like you would in conversation. Use simple and colloquial language. Use wit to invoke the expression on your face. Play with format! You should also avoid big words as much as you can. In fact, the more complex the idea, the simpler the language should be. Being generous with your readers means allowing them to focus on your ideas, not how smart you are.

Now, to making sound arguments. Reading makes you smarter; you just learn a bunch of stuff. You also learn the words and phrases to describe said stuff. Making sound arguments has less to do with skill and more to do with the way you think. What’s your flow of thought, and what knowledge and experiences inform them? The only way to have good (smart, interesting, challenging, funny) thoughts and ideas is by being a truly curious person and learning from people smarter than you. A rough formula for my news roundups is: something happened + here are my thoughts. Because I write about a wide range of issues and industries, I’ve had to learn how experts in those industries think and speak. Podcasts and coffee chats are very useful for this. In the most literal way, you pick up the terminology of each industry. But most importantly, over time, you learn how these people think. What are their takes? What’s the logic behind those takes? How did they get there? This has been the most challenging part for me, because for every subject I write about, I have to first understand it. “It” is the thing itself, but also the context surrounding the thing. And then I need to have the right words to write about it, using just the right mix of industry terminology to establish credibility and colloquial language so it’s understandable. I have to convince you something is interesting, and that my opinions on it are worthy and well informed, usually in a paragraph.

Essays are a bit harder because you have one main point you’re trying to convey, and you have to make several smaller points to get there. Basically, you’re leading your reader to arrive at the same conclusion you have, so you have to guide them point by point, each point building on the last. This is the most delicate dance, because if one point doesn’t hold, the whole argument is shaky. So when I write, I’m always asking myself, does this make sense? Are my arguments sound? Again, reading is crucial for this because it gives you the right words and ideas, and shows you how to string them together.

Because all this takes a lot of time and brainpower, I try to only write about things that interest me. Otherwise, I won’t have the motivation to put in the work. Thankfully, a lot of things interest me.

The third thing I’ll say is that I think good writing is always generous. I share a lot of takes, and there’s always some temptation to be mean or snarky because social media really rewards that stuff. I don’t shy away from speaking about things I don’t like or that I disagree with, but I do try to infuse everything I do with some generosity, not least because I hope people do the same for me.

Bonus tip: if like me you struggle with typos and grammar, don’t be afraid to use ChatGPT. The free version works fine. The prompt I use (below) won’t change your sentences but will take out typos and fix tenses and punctuation. I rarely use the concise option because the tone is always off, but I enjoy seeing alternative ways to express my ideas.

I run each paragraph I write through chatGPT before I publish. if I ever have typos its because I made last minute edits :(

Second bonus tip: make friends—smart friends with great taste—who will read your work and give you real feedback at a second’s notice.

Katie Stone

and

Hannah Connolly

have been those people for me. It helps that they’re great writers as well.

Third bonus tip: embrace nuance in your thinking and writing. I always say, I’m a girl with strong opinions loosely held. I’m right until I’m wrong, and I have a high tolerance for being wrong. The most interesting writing engages with nuance; the worst discards it.

In summary, practice a lot and read even more. Be generous.

NOW I NEED ADVICE (OR FEEDBACK LOL)

For the past few months, I’ve been working on an interview series for the newsletter. The first installment will go out next week and then biweekly after that, and I’ll be sharing more soon. I’m working really hard to make the series fun and engaging, and no doubt I’ll get your feedback when they go live anyway. For now, I’d love to hear from you about what kinds of interviews you’d like me to have on as seen on.

Are there specific themes, topics, or people you want me to engage with? Any preferred interview styles or dos and don’ts to share? I have two installments ready, so your feedback will help shape what comes next.

Let me know in the comments, or you can respond via email. What do you want this Gen Z-er to discuss, and with whom?

I’ll be back on Friday (or Monday tbh I’m just a girl) with my regular sexy very sexy news roundups.