The Thinking System Behind Every Great Writing.

5 Mental Models Every Online Writer Should Know.

Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash

I’m still in “awe” as I read great books and Medium articles. I thought if I could copy their styles and make those as templates, I can be like them.

I was wrong.

An average writer thinks of what to write. Great writer thinks of the principles behind what they write.

In short, most writers focus on templates, guides, and styles. Great writers focus on these 5 mental models:

1. They know their readers well.

If you will ask great writers about their readers, they have plenty of answers in their mind. They know their problems, frustrations, wants, and desires. Amazingly, they even know what struggles they think of last night.

Are they fortune tellers? No.

They spend a lot of time talking to their audience or researching about their wants and desires. They do it because they know that addressing the right problem is the key to helping their readers.

That’s why Atomic Habits hits because James Clear knows that we are easily overwhelmed by complex habit strategies.

That’s why Deep Work slaps because we are too distracted to focus and apply deep connection with what we are working on.

So, the next time you write, think about your audience first. What’s their problems? How can they understand what I’m trying to say? How can this article “really” help them?

2. They reduce readers’ thinking effort

That’s why I love the book “Don’t Make Me Think” by Steve Krug. It helps us understand about the behavior of our readers and how to simplify not only the writing but also the system behind our content.

In the book Cognitive Load Theory, the authors emphasize that our working memory is limited. Even unnecessary task makes our learning harder. That’s why our writing should reduce unnecessary mental effort. After all, we are writing for busy readers.

So, the next time you write, think of the simple words, short and long, better formatting (ex. 1–3–1 rhythm). It pays how good writing makes the thinking of the reader easier.

3. They manage people’s attention.

AIDA and PAS are still one of the most powerful frameworks that drives attention from the first point to the last one. And great writers take advantage of it. They love how people read through every pages of their books and articles.

Whatever framework you use, as long as it helps your audience to read through the pages of your book or article, use it consistently. But you can also try other structures that works for your readers then twist those into your own style.

If I have to add one, you can also take this framework. I call it the Story Pivot. It drives your audience attention from your story to your offer. The term is originated by me but the format is based on the book Email Storyselling Playbook by Jim Hamilton.

It goes like this:

You write your story then tell the lessons that you’ve learned. Then pivot the lesson into your offer until eventually they read your call to action. Simple as that. Make sure that the flow is smooth and pivot to each section.

4. They spark curiosity and meaning.

Stories are better on this. Because it can create curiosity gap and emotional meaning to it.

I remember when I’m speaking about health in the public, when I shared a story about a man seeking advice about his gallstones. I pause for a while, ask the audience questions about “what do you think is the advice?” and “how that advice turned out?”

They keep on guessing until I eventually revealed an answer which they don’t expect. On the last part I mentioned to them our product offer and how it can help them if they experience the same.

Sparking curiosity is the best way you can stand out as a writer. Which many great writers are taking advantage of. Look at titles of the Medium article you are reading.

That alone is a case study of curiosity that makes you click and read through.

5. They learn from practicing in public.

This one is a bit different from the previous. Because it talks about the mindset of the expert online writers.

Writing online isn’t about prose. It’s about consistency and volume. And the more you write and publish online, the more you see what resonates to your audience.

That’s why great writers are doing great. Because they do it in a long-term while thinking of long-term. They enjoy taking feedback from their audience. Take those feedbacks to their heart and the next time they write, they write it better.

I believe that writing better starts with thinking better. That’s why I develop systems that will help your online writing be consistently as possible and provide you peace of mind that you’re doing great every time you hit publish.

Follow me on Medium if you believe it also. Until next time, then!