The Shiny Dime Challenge

A Shiny Dime is a specific and surprising idea. It's the singular focus of a piece of writing. And it's a concept that will help you capture attention in a crowded world.

Hey writers,

Are you ready to capture attention in a crowded world? 

Maybe you want new clients for your business, but don’t know where to start. Maybe you want to grow your personal brand, but don’t have an audience. Maybe you want to share your story online, spreading your ideas across the Internet like schmear on a New York bagel, but you’re scared your work isn’t any good. 

Whatever it is, you’re not alone — and you’re already on the right path. Writing online is one of the biggest opportunities in the world right now. And 2024 is your year to finally build influence online. 

At Write of Passage, we’ve taught hundreds of people how to start sharing their ideas online, and there’s one mistake that writers make the most. Most writers try to say too much. They become scatterbrained and distracted, losing their readers in the process. But not you. 

Over the course of the next ten weeks, you’ll learn how to cut through the noise with clear, concise ideas. 

How? By mastering the Shiny Dime.

What is a Shiny Dime?

A Shiny Dime is the most compressed idea of a specific, surprising idea. Everything in your Substack article, YouTube script, or Twitter thread revolves around your Shiny Dime. It’s the central message that binds everything together. The one idea, the one story, the one message you want your reader to understand. A Shiny Dime is a beacon of clarity in a storm of chaos. It spotlights one specific, surprising idea, like a lighthouse attracting tourists to the coastline.  

How do you tell the world who you are in a concise way? Well, you don’t need to tell your life’s story all at once. But writing online is like fitness. Consistency breeds success. Showing up every day, even in small doses, will lead to more progress than scattered, all-day workouts ever will. No one runs a marathon without training, so don’t expect your first article to be your magnum opus. 

A Shiny Dime is a minimum viable idea. It’s specific and surprising. And if you can master Shiny Dimes, you will capture attention online.

What to Expect from the Shiny Dime Challenge

Receive Two Emails Per Week 

For the next ten weeks, you’ll receive two emails per week: a Shiny Dime lesson on Mondays and a writing prompt on Wednesdays. Each week, you’ll learn something new about Shiny Dimes, then put it into practice. 

The Shiny Dime lessons are divided into three stages:

• The Fundamentals
  You’ll start by learning the fundamentals of Shiny Dimes — what they are, how to find them, and specific examples to guide you. 
• The Three Types of Shiny Dimes
  Then, you’ll learn the three categories of Shiny Dimes: one-liners, coined phrases, and stories. 
• Advanced Tactics
  Finally, you’ll master the advanced tactics of a Shiny Dime, using it not just to draft your ideas, but to revise them as well.

Each lesson is followed by a brand new writing prompt. These prompts are designed to help you discover your unique Shiny Dimes, so you can start sharing them with the world. 

Join the Shiny Dime Community on Circle 

Speaking of sharing, you’ll also join the Shiny Dime community on Circle. This is where you will post what you write, exchange feedback, and learn how your peers are writing Shiny Dimes.

Make sure to post your writing on Circle so that you can get feedback and practice writing headlines. But feel free to publish your writing elsewhere too, whether that’s on social media, a personal website, or your newsletter. Keep an eye on your inbox for an email with instructions on how to log into Circle. 

Building an audience. Growing your brand. Sharing your story. The Shiny Dime framework is the unlock to all other writing concepts that will help you capture attention in a crowded world. 

We’re happy you’re here, and we can’t wait to see all the Shiny Dimes you’ll share.

See you in your inbox soon!

The Write of Passage Team