Writing Examples

Hey writers,

Welcome back to Writing Examples. Last week, you discovered how Hemingway creates stories in your imagination. This week, learn to describe complex situations with something more impactful than adjectives.

But first:

Got Questions for David?

You may know that in addition to this newsletter, we produce a program that helps you become a better writer and get readers in five-week long cohort. We only do this a few times per year and the time has come. The enrollment period for our August cohort begins next Monday, July 22. Get stoked.

Plus, your future instructor, David Perell, is hosting a live Q&A on Monday as well. It's an excellent time to get to know David, ask questions about the Bootcamp, meet some of our alumni, and get a feel for the energy of the program. Come hang, it will be anything but boring.

Give Your Reader a Feeling, Not an Adjective  

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way..."

– Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities

It was tumultuous. Chaotic. Paradoxical. People had extreme political beliefs and hostile views of others from a different social class. The French Revolution was bloody and lawless — yet, Dickens uses none of these adjectives to describe such anarchy.

By using sets of opposites, Dickens portrays the brokenness that defines the Revolution:

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times": The prosperous were few and their lifestyles were far from what they were for the poor. There were gemstone-studded royals and there were the famished peasants yelling in bread riots.

"It was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness": This era was also defined by extreme differences in beliefs. The Enlightenment bore philosophies of liberty and equality, but there were radicals who rampaged through the cities to fight for their rights.

People say that the road to hell is paved with good intentions — and that was true for the French Revolution. Dickens says, “we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way." Social collapse was caused by the optimism of the mobs that believed their righteous violence would achieve a better, more just society. In the process of creating Heaven, the people created the opposite too.

Like Dickens, help your reader feel the complexity of a situation. Don’t flip through the thesaurus for an adjective to describe a scene; help your reader envision and imagine it. By pairing these opposites, Dickens helps you understand the complexity of the French Revolution viscerally, rather than conceptually. The Revolution wasn’t simply one thing or another; it was contradictory. You have to feel it to comprehend it.

How I Write Podcast

Learn Great Copywriting in 77 Minutes | Harry Dry

Harry is a master copywriter — and that’s not hyperbole. With Marketing Examples, he’s taught over 100,000 people how to write copy that rips. And guess what? You’re next. 

Copywriting is the wrapper of success for every company. It’s the difference between Snickers, the bestselling chocolate bar in the world (“You’re not you when you’re hungry”) and a chocolate bar that looked and tasted just like Snickers, but went out of business in 2006. (Ever had a Fuse bar? Yeah, neither have we.) 

Good copywriting burns into your brain, seeps into your guts. And in this episode, you’re going to learn how to write it. 

Harry and David get down-and-dirty with the most important principles of copywriting. You’ll learn “The Three Rules” of good copy. You’ll compare ads that worked with ads that didn’t. You’ll get an inside look into how Harry writes his copy, down to his favorite software and tea of choice. 

If you want to grow your marketing skills, this is your Harry-sent solution. Come learn the art of masterful copywriting.

Listen Now: YouTube | Spotify | Apple

Thank you for reading Writing Examples. This week, see how you can create vivid emotions for your reader before flipping open a thesaurus.

Happy writing,

The Write of Passage Team