It’s tough to write a great title. I get it. But the sad truth is the handful of words at the top of the page are probably the most important thing you’re going to write today. So it’s worth taking a minute to triple-check that your headline is as good as it can possibly get.

Luckily, there’s an easy way to write snappy engaging titles that will bring all the readers to the yard (you’re here, aren’t you?). And the good news is that you’re probably already doing it. Or at least, you should be.

Because the “secret” to writing better titles, is simple. You just have to edit your SEO meta description. …

You have less than five months to binge-watch The Office before it moves to NBC’s streaming platform, “The Peacock” on Jan 1, 2021. So before it’s (basically) gone forever, let’s take a look at some of the best quotes from The Office. Because for a show about running out the clock at a traditional 9–5 desk job, The Office is packed with a surprising amount of advice for freelance writers.

And if you don’t believe me, you can take it up with corporate.

Just start writing

“Sometimes I’ll start a sentence and I don’t even know where it’s going. I just hope I find it along the way.” …

“Find your muse.”

If you’re anything like me, you hate this kind of writing advice. Sure, it sounds inspirational, but it’s really just vague nonsense. And that makes it useless. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for “seeking inspiration.” I’m just saying that empty phrases like that aren’t going to make you a better writer. How do I know? Because it just happened again.

Beware of writing advice

When someone tells you to “follow your passion” it doesn’t really mean anything—at least, not anything specific. And specificity is a writer’s life-blood. Platitudes aren’t actionable advice. They’re just fortune-telling disguised as wisdom. And that isn’t going to up your word count. …

Ignore the success stories. Yes, some writers earn thousands of dollars on Medium with a handful of articles. And yes, Medium is still one of the best places for freelance writers to build an audience and earn money online.

But it’s not magic.

The rules of content marketing still apply. Like it or not, the simple, boring, painful truth is that Medium is a long game. Or to be more accurate, it’s a long tail game.

Once you understand that the lifetime earnings of your articles are more important than that initial endorphin hit you get from claps and comments, you’ll start to see just how valuable writing on Medium can be. …

WRITING

Roald Dahl is an incredible writer. Obviously.

Most of us have read—and cherished—at least one of his timeless classics. He’s a master of compelling and complex character development, vivid, unique world-building, and rewarding, memorable storytelling.

But if all you know of Roald Dahl is Willy Wonka and a giant peach, you’re missing out. Especially if you’re a writer.

Dahl’s two-part biography, Boy: Tales of Childhood and Going Solo — should be required reading for anyone that wants to become a writer. …

POETRY

I watch a bubbly brown beetle
army crawl
– — — — –– a
– — — — — — — — — — — — –weaving
– — — winding
– — — — — —– — — — course
across the patio
as I sip and slurp
my morning coffee.

The beetle’s arched and angled legs
high-step
a bassoon staccato

Bum-ba—dum
De-dump-da—doe
Pa-rump-pa—dum
De-bump-a—go

This beetle has a limp!

Every fourth step
heavy yet hurried,
a stumble,
a hitch,
interrupting his smooth robotic march
like an aging high-school letterman
ignoring an old hamstring injury.

The beetle scuttles on,
always farther than I expect
whenever I glance up
to check his progress. …