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Ann Handley

Writer. Speaker. Marketer.

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best writing advice

Addressing the Elephant In the Room: 6 Strategies for Writing About the Hard Stuff

grayscale drawing of an elephant throwing a paper airplane

A version of this story appeared in Total Annarchy, my fortnightly newsletter that helps you be a better writer, storyteller, marketer. Get it in your inbox; you’ll love it. * * * How do you write about Difficult Topics? How do you message to an audience about the Hard Stuff? At a time everything is wildly […]

Filed Under: Annarchy, best writing advice, Ideas you can steal, Writing Tagged With: better writing, content copywriting, email newsletter

How to Get Better at Writing: 10 Ideas to Ignite Your Best Work This Year

A version of this story appeared in Total Annarchy, my fortnightly newsletter that helps you be a better writer, storyteller, marketer. Get it in your inbox; you’ll love it. * * * <Hand over heart; eyes to the heavens.> This year, you resolve to…. 1. WRITE THE FIRST DRAFT AS FAST AS YOU CAN. Get it […]

Filed Under: Annarchy, best writing advice, Ideas you can steal, Writing Tagged With: become a better writer, better writing, daily writing habit, first draft writing

How to Build a Daily Writing Habit

A version of this story appeared in Total Annarchy, my fortnightly newsletter that helps you be a better writer, storyteller, marketer. Get it in your inbox; you’ll love it. * * * I’m typing this with one hand—let’s call it Lefty, because it’s my left hand. Righty hangs by my side, injured but itching to get […]

Filed Under: Annarchy, best writing advice, Writing Tagged With: better writing, daily writing habit, Lynda Barry

How to Turn Editing Into the Best Part of Writing

an array of colorful erasers arranged against a white backdrop

A version of this story appeared in Total Annarchy, my fortnightly newsletter that helps you be a better writer, storyteller, marketer. Get it in your inbox; you’ll love it. * * * Long before I wrote books and your favorite newsletter 😊, I wrote for a financial newspaper about Federal Reserve regs and housing prices. […]

Filed Under: Annarchy, best writing advice, Writing Tagged With: better writing, copyediting, editing, first draft writing, process of writing, ridiculously good writing

Specific Writing Is More Relatable Writing: Standout Sentences #1

Normally I celebrate standout marketing writing. But this week I’m sharing a line from a novel I’m reading. It’s simple. It’s compact. And it’s perfect: “His skin was not just clammy but the color and consistency of actual clams.” —Ann Patchett, Bel Canto Ann is describing a Bel Canto character—a Russian bureaucrat named Fyodorov. I […]

Filed Under: Annarchy, best writing advice, Ideas you can steal Tagged With: Ann Patchett, Bel Canto, specific writing, writing advice

6 Signs That It’s Time for You to Write Your Book Already [A Checklist]

A version of this story appeared in Total Annarchy, my fortnightly newsletter that helps you be a better writer, storyteller, marketer. Get it in your inbox; you’ll love it. * * * From time to time I answer reader questions. This is one of those times. <Hoists mailbag onto table. Rummages around. Pulls out reader letter.>* […]

Filed Under: Annarchy, best writing advice, career advice, Writing Tagged With: book, writing advice, writing process

TikTok with the Best Writing Advice (No Really)

postcard with a blue and red heart stamp

A version of this story appeared in Total Annarchy, my fortnightly newsletter that helps you be a better writer, storyteller, marketer. Get it in your inbox; you’ll love it. * * * I sense I’m being watched. Followed. Stalked, almost. He’s quiet as a ninja. And like a ninja, he seems everywhere at once. Often […]

Filed Under: Annarchy, best writing advice, Writing Tagged With: show don't tell, Social Media, TikTok, writing advice

What I Learned in 3 Years of Writing a Newsletter

A french bulldog wearing star-shaped glasses sits in front of a star-shaped cake with a "3" candle in the center of it

A version of this story appeared in Total Annarchy, my fortnightly newsletter that helps you be a better writer, storyteller, marketer. Get it in your inbox; you’ll love it. * * * Three years ago this week—in January 2018—I decided to start a newsletter. Why? I wanted connection—not one-to-many social media connection, but me-to-you direct […]

Filed Under: Annarchy, best writing advice, Ideas you can steal, Slow Marketing, storytelling, Writing Tagged With: culture of writing, email newsletters, process of writing, Total Annarchy anniversary

How to Write a First Draft of Anything

Image of a horse drawing, with the image becoming progressively simplistic as you scan from back to front. Near the horse's tail it says "idea," in the middle it says "outline," and the text near the head says "first draft."

A version of this story appeared in Total Annarchy, my fortnightly newsletter that helps you be a better writer, storyteller, marketer. Get it in your inbox; you’ll love it. * * * I re-posted the image above on Instagram a few days ago. Don’t we go into any new project (or year) with a vision in […]

Filed Under: Annarchy, Annecdote, best writing advice Tagged With: first drafts, how to write, personal growth

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