Writing and Content Creation

Class 1 — Writing That Works

• What professional writing actually is — clarity, not complexity
• The one job every sentence has: move the reader forward
• The writing process: thinking → drafting → revising → editing — and why order matters
• Common writing mistakes that make readers stop: passive voice, jargon, filler, hedging
• Writing for a reader who is distracted, skimming, and skeptical
• Setting up your writing workspace: Google Docs, Notion, or a dedicated writing tool

Class 2 — Sentence & Paragraph Mastery

• The anatomy of a strong sentence: subject, verb, object — in that order
• Sentence variety: short for impact, long for rhythm, never the same length twice
• The paragraph as a unit of thought: one idea, fully developed, then done
• Topic sentences: the contract between writer and reader
• Transitions: how to move between ideas without losing the reader
• Cutting ruthlessly: the editing pass that removes every word not earning its place

Class 3 — Voice, Tone & Style

• What voice is — the personality that comes through your writing
• What tone is — how voice shifts depending on audience and context
• Finding your own voice: writing authentically instead of imitating
• Formal vs. conversational — and when each is right
• Writing with specificity: concrete nouns and active verbs over abstractions
• Reading like a writer: analyzing published work to understand how it is built

Class 1 — The Architecture of Story

• Why the human brain is wired for narrative — and how writers use this
• Story structure: setup, conflict, rising tension, turning point, resolution
• The hook: the first sentence is the only sentence that matters until the second one does
• Scene vs. summary: when to show and when to tell
• Tension and stakes: the engine that keeps a reader moving
• Structure frameworks: inverted pyramid, freytag's pyramid, the hero's journey — and when each serves a piece of writing

Class 2 — The Personal Essay

• What a personal essay is — and how it differs from a diary entry
• The essay as argument: every personal essay makes a claim about the world
• Using personal experience as evidence, not just subject matter
• The braided essay: weaving multiple threads into one coherent piece
• Vulnerability vs. oversharing — the line every essayist must find
• Published examples: James Baldwin, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Ta-Nehisi Coates — what makes them work

Class 3 — Narrative Journalism & Feature Writing

• What narrative journalism is: the story behind the story
• The lede: the opening that earns the reader's time
• Reporting for a feature: sources, interviews, observation, and research
• Structuring a long-form piece: scene, anecdote, data, expert quote, back to scene
• Writing profiles: capturing a person in words
• Fact-checking: why accuracy is not optional and how to build the habit

Class 1 — Writing for Online Readers

• How people read online — and why it is nothing like reading a book
• F-pattern and Z-pattern reading: designing text for the skimming eye
• Headlines: the one line that determines whether anyone reads anything else
• Subheadings, bullet points, and white space as navigation tools
• The inverted pyramid for web content: answer first, context second, detail third
• Writing meta descriptions, alt text, and captions — the invisible writing that matters

Class 2 — SEO Fundamentals for Writers

• What search engine optimization is — and what it is not
• How Google decides what to rank: E-E-A-T, relevance, authority, backlinks
• Keyword research: finding the exact words your audience types into search
• Tools: Google Search Console, Ubersuggest, AnswerThePublic
• On-page SEO: where keywords go and how to use them without stuffing
• Search intent: informational, navigational, transactional, commercial — writing for each
• Internal linking and why it matters for both SEO and reader experience

Class 3 — Blogging Strategy & Content Planning

• Choosing a niche: the tension between passion and demand
• Content pillars: the 3–5 topic areas that define a blog's identity
• Building a content calendar: planning a month of posts in one session
• Post formats that perform: how-to, listicle, opinion, case study, interview
• Building an email list from a blog: why owned audience beats social following
• Consistency over perfection: publishing on a schedule rather than waiting for ideal

Class 1 — The Psychology of Persuasion

• The difference between writing and copywriting: one informs, one moves
• Cialdini's six principles: reciprocity, commitment, social proof, authority, liking, scarcity
• Understanding the reader's emotional state before writing a single word
• Pain points and desires: writing that speaks to what people actually want
• The role of trust in persuasion — and how to build it in writing
• Ethical persuasion: the line between compelling and manipulative

Class 2 — Copywriting Frameworks

• AIDA: Attention, Interest, Desire, Action — the classic structure
• PAS: Problem, Agitate, Solution — and when it hits harder than AIDA
• BAB: Before, After, Bridge — selling transformation, not features
• Features vs. benefits: the mistake every beginner copywriter makes
• Writing headlines that stop the scroll: numbers, questions, specificity, curiosity gaps
• The call to action: the most rewritten line in any copy and why

Class 3 — Email, Landing Pages & Ads

• Email copywriting: subject lines, preview text, body, and CTA — each with one job
• Welcome sequences: the series that turns a subscriber into a buyer
• Landing page anatomy: hero, social proof, features, objections, CTA — in the right order
• Writing for paid ads: character limits, hooks, and the creative constraint
• Product descriptions that sell without shouting
• A/B testing copy: how professionals improve conversion rates systematically

Class 1 — Platform Strategy & Content Formats

• The mistake of trying to be everywhere: choosing platforms with intention
• Platform psychology: why people go to LinkedIn, why they go to Twitter, why they go to Instagram
• Content formats by platform: threads, carousels, short video scripts, newsletters
• Repurposing content: one idea, five formats, five platforms
• The content matrix: mapping topics against formats to build a content library
• Analytics that matter: reach, engagement rate, click-through, follower growth — and which is a vanity metric

Class 2 — Writing for Social Platforms

• Twitter/X: threads, hooks, one-liners, and the art of the reply
• LinkedIn: professional storytelling, the first-line hook, thought leadership posts
• Instagram: caption writing, the role of the first line, call-to-action placement
• Short-form video scripts: TikTok, Reels, YouTube Shorts — structure in under 60 seconds
• Writing carousel posts: each slide earns the next swipe
• The algorithm and the audience: writing for people first, distribution second

Class 3 — Audience Building & Distribution

• The difference between followers and an audience
• Building in public: sharing the process, not just the outcome
• Newsletter strategy: why email is still the highest-value channel
• Community building: turning readers into participants
• Collaborations and cross-promotion: growing by borrowing audiences
• Content consistency: systems for producing content without burning out

Class 1 — Content Strategy & Brand Voice

• What content strategy is: the plan behind the content
• Audience research for content: who you are writing for and what they actually need
• Brand voice documentation: capturing tone, language, and style in a guide
• Content auditing: evaluating existing content for quality and gaps
• The content funnel: awareness, consideration, and decision-stage content
• Measuring content performance: which metrics tie back to real business goals

Class 2 — Building Your Writing Portfolio

• What a strong writing portfolio contains — and what to cut
• Writing case studies for content projects: goals, approach, results
• Portfolio platforms: Muck Rack, Contently, a personal website, or a simple Notion page
• Tailoring your portfolio for different audiences: brands, agencies, editorial, tech
• Writing a professional bio — the 50-word version and the 200-word version
• Getting your first clips when you have none: strategies that actually work

Class 3 — Pitching, Freelancing & Going Professional

• How to pitch an editor: the query letter structure that gets responses
• Cold outreach to content clients: what to say and how to position yourself
• Setting rates as a freelance writer: per word, per piece, per project, retainer
• Contracts, briefs, and managing client expectations
• Building a sustainable content business: recurring income over one-off gigs
• Next steps: content marketing specialist, SEO writer, brand strategist, journalist