Learn to edit words like a pro. I've edited 3M+ words and each week, I share a lesson and Loom breakdown to teach you what to cut, how to add value, and how to finally feel confident when editing. Every subscriber gets access to my Editing Library, a database of 62 edits broken down by the problem, my take on how to improve it, and my edited version.
🪄Cut the Fluff: Start with the end
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Cut the Fluff is a weekly newsletter that will help you become a more confident writer & editor. If this was sent to you, subscribe here so you don't miss the next lesson. Hey Reader, "What do I want my readers to walk away with?" I ask myself this before I write anything. Because if I don't know where to end, I can't begin. This is one of the biggest mistakes I see people make. They've got an idea they want to explore. A story they want to tell. An anecdote in mind to keep it interesting. But they have no idea what the takeaway is. What's the point of exploring this idea in the first place? Why will readers care? What problems will it help them solve? Ummm... If this is you, two things usually happen from here:
Stop the madness. Do this instead. In Long to Short, my AI-powered course collab with Rob Lennon (where we help people get 50+ social ideas from long-form writing) we encourage you to analyze your content from various angles. This way, you can mine for golden idea nuggets worth exploring deeper. In step 2, we mine content from "the whole." Here's an exerpt:
Why​
​ Looking at the whole of the content, pull back to see it as something that exists amongst all the other content out there.
​ Consider WHY this content exists:
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What is the purpose of what I created? Why must it exist in the world? What goal am I trying to achieve with it?
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You and I
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Now, shift your focus to the YOU (your audience) AND the I (yourself, AKA the creator). Consider the style, vibe, and emotions behind the content.
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What is the reader supposed to feel while going through this content? What makes my content non-generic or unique? What spin did I add that can only come from ME? My opinions, experiences, research, conversations, and stories.
In the course, we're looking at content we already created so we can find juicy angles to dig deeper into. But this is also a valuable exercise to do before you write. This way, you know why the hell you're creating the thing in the first place (and can start to form a narrative structure). Step 1. Answer big WHY + YOU and I questionsBy answering these questions, you can start to form a takeaway. Step 2. Create an outlineI love an outline. It's a mini map that helps me stay on course. It's also extremely useful when editing, because it reminds you where you wanted to end up, so you can check you're at the right destination. Get as high level or detailed as you want. Let's get meta. Here's my outline for this newsletter:
Intro: Open by talking about how I can't write anything without a takeaway
Poke the pain: State how tons of people write without one
Agitate the pain: Share two bad outcomes people endure because of no takeaway
Transition: Transition into solution
Provide a solution: Share a better way. Get specific with steps. Drop examples from Long to Short natively into the content.
Conclusion: End with a takeaway and get meta again "I started with the end, and now we've reached it" or something to that effect
Oops, I just gave away bits we haven't gotten to yet! Shall we continue? Step 3. WriteDo your thang. Step 4. EditWhen you're done, read your content with those big questions you answered at the start in mind. Sense check:
Don't skip the edit! Give yourself the courtesy to make sure you're at the right destination. It doesn't have to take very long. And so, we've reached the end. My takeaway I had when I started this newsletter was: Help people understand the importance of a takeaway and empower them to create one before they write. How'd I do? Cheers, Erica Check out my 3 courses that 1500+ people have taken, loved, and gotten "holy shit" results from: 1. Long to Short: Turn one long-form piece into a month's worth of posts. A step-by-step system to repurpose, remix, and remaster your best ideas. ​Morgan recently said it was the best course she's ever taken.​ 2. Hooked on Writing Hooks: Turn your ideas into content that actually gets consumed. Learn to write scroll-stopping hooks on social without resorting to clickbait nonsense that feels inauthentic. ​ConvertKit's social media manager said he absolutely loves it.​ 3. Content Editing 101. Kill decision fatigue and build confidence as a writer and editor. A look inside a professional editor's workflow & best practices. Packed with lessons, examples, and a roadmap so you can stop second-guessing your writing & editing decisions. ​Kate says this course has saved her hours in her workflow.​ Each course is AI-powered 🪄 You can go through them manually or use AI to play, get it done faster, and test your new skills in real-time. My friend & prompt genius Rob Lennon wrote all the prompts and bots for the courses. What'd you find most interesting about today's email? Reply and lemme know. Erica Schneider ​ ​ |
Cut the Fluff
Learn to edit words like a pro. I've edited 3M+ words and each week, I share a lesson and Loom breakdown to teach you what to cut, how to add value, and how to finally feel confident when editing. Every subscriber gets access to my Editing Library, a database of 62 edits broken down by the problem, my take on how to improve it, and my edited version.
Cut the Fluff is a weekly newsletter that will help you become a more confident writer & editor. If this was sent to you, subscribe here so you don't miss the next lesson. Hey Reader, Quick note before we get to the newsletter: I'm working on a new project with my course collaborator in crime, Rob Lennon. We're going to teach you how to build momentum for launches, whether you're launching a product, service, cohort, workshop, webinar, podcast, or whatever else. Keep your eyes peeled because...
Cut the Fluff is a weekly newsletter that will help you become a more confident writer & editor. If this was sent to you, subscribe here so you don't miss the next lesson. Hey Reader, I got an email the other day from a new subscriber. He was answering my "What's your biggest struggle with self-editing?" welcome question, and his response cracked me up: "It usually takes me a while to write the damn post because I'm editing as I go. So at the end I'm just like "f*ck it - send." I laughed...
Cut the Fluff is a weekly newsletter that will help you become a more confident writer & editor. If this was sent to you, subscribe here so you don't miss the next lesson. Hey Reader, It's too hot in Greece in August. Nobody should ever come here during this month. We're only here because it's my father-in-law's 70th birthday, and he insisted on gathering the troops for a celebration. Given that it's too hot to think, I thought I'd dip into my Loom archives for today's newsletter and share a...