Start in the Middle

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As you know, your Computer Girl is not all about the tech -- at least, not exclusively. I’m all about taking your business’s energy and helping you to transform it into something that serves your clients.

And this includes not just the nuts and bolts of your tech but the content you put out, too.

So, I have a juicy writing tip for you that’s going to help you cure your Newsletter Nerves: If you have trouble writing that newsletter or blog post, start in the middle.

I always find the opening paragraph really tricky to write. There's so much pressure on those first few sentences - they have to grab the reader's attention, appeal to their emotions, and convince them to keep reading.

Phew!

That's a big job for a paragraph. Sometimes, it's just too much to take. The pressure is huge and it feels like the stakes are high. And all this on a newsletter?? Before you know it, you’re overwhelmed and your Newsletter Nerves are possibly turning into Blog Post Blocks.

But starting in the middle lets me get back into the flow.

I skip the beginning and start writing in the middle. Then, I circle back and write the beginning. By then, I've probably written a witty conclusion and I can use that to influence the opening paragraph.

Next time you're feeling overwhelmed by the intro paragraph, just skip it. Don’t think about “grabbing the reader’s attention” or “appealing to their emotions.” Just start writing and know that you can tweak what you’ve written later. Now that you’ve gotten the heart of the message done, you can reverse-engineer: what are the set of thoughts that precede this middle? What story can I tell? How can I make this fun and authentic?

This trick has helped me write sooooo many successful grad school papers for a degree in English (English Literature, to be precise), and it’s a great hack I continue to use to this day. So, take this tip, calm those nerves and get writing those newsletters!

Need a little help finding inspiration for your newsletter? I’ve got a free course for you. Right here.

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