I’m working on this list of ‘writing principles’ though they should probably be called ‘newsletter principles’ - guidelines for helping me not destroy my own life so much when writing and, more importantly, publishing.
that’s really where i get in trouble.
not that writing is easy, it’s not. or it’s easy the same way dying is easy - there’s not much stopping you from it, technically, but you’ll spend your entire life avoiding it nonetheless.
note to self: is that ‘writing is like dying’ thing good? or very dumb?
note to readers: i sorta feel like that last note was not really to ‘self’ but to you? or maybe to the self that is really all of us?
note to self: enough with this shit get back to the principles
Principle one: minimize the notes to self they are weird and childish.
Principle two: Principle one can fuck right off.
much like a flying train, this has gone off the rails
the idea behind the principles is that they should be SMaC:
- specific
- methodical
- consistent
it comes from this video I watched by a youtuber named Mr. Clark's Classroom who laid out his principles for the videos on his channel. These included:
- Do not avoid jargon, but use it appropriately
- Show how lessons reinforce each other
- Focus on lesson quality, not algorithm data
- Track depth of engagement, not subscriber count:
- The student is the hero, you are the guide
I’ll have my full list soon, but one in particular I wanna figure out is, surprise surprise, about what is happening RIGHT NOW.
THiS EMAIL.
IS IT OKAY?
once again i must face myself and the truth of my intentions
I decided to write this email, i must admit, in order to remind you about batwrite
like, that was my initial intent - to promote batwrite.
but i didn’t wanna just send an email about batwrite with nothing else in it.
because that would suck.
so i instead decided to send you something more. something of ‘value’ that you’d enjoy or benefit from even and especially if you had zero interest in batwrite.
but is that…manipulation? Am i just forcing something out in order to then promote batwrite?
is that even worse than just promoting without all this poppycock?
Principle three: never use the word poppycock.
i don’t think so. because there is something fun and good here that is happening besides the batwrite thing. and that’s enough.
and i do believe that something can be both useful and also provide a link at the end about what is happening in order to remind people about it.
maybe...both are true???
oh shit wait that’s the other thing.
A real principle / idea: people WANT to hear from you and they want to sign up, so what you’re doing is actually a favor to them.
You are not annoying them.
And if you are, they can be annoyed. Or they can unsubscribe.
this is really imporatant though. Peopl want to hear from you. If they dont, they thats their busienss. but you can’t act as though they do not want to hear from you and hate you because then you’re fighting a windmill that you think is there to kill you. but its just a windmill. a nothing burtger.
so there you have it .
but now here comes another question: would people rather just read the promo for batwrite without all of the whining and crying about how i hate to promote this stuff but have to anyway?
no, i dont think so. because that stuff is sorta the whole thing. that’s me in a cashew shell. it’s who i am and the fears that rummage their way through my dumb brain on a regular basis.
and sharing those fears - it helps. not for reasons i understand nor can articulate let alone innumerate, but it helps. it helps people share their fears and it helps me feel less insane over the course of a day.
which is good for everyone, i think.
OH WAIT I REMEMBERED THIS TOO
the whole initial point of this was to say:
at the start of each batwrite, after i do a stand-up session via powerpoint slides, we all share what we wanna work on that day (you dont hafta tho!)
today, I’m gonna work on my post about my writing principles
but also i’m gonna work on this new post i just came up with about this weird phone i found online that i’ve become obsessed with
and also i probably have client work i need to do so i’ll do some of that first
anyway, that’s it, i love you all and can’t believe you read my stuff it means the world and a few other planets too
alex
lets do it let’s batwrite
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this week’s schedule:
Tuesday, July 15, 4:00p-6:00p EST - BATWRITE
Wednesday, July 16, 10:30a-12:30p EST - BATWRITE
the rest of july
Tuesday, July 22, 4:00p-6:00p EST - BATWRITE
Thursday, July 24, 9:00a-11:00a EST - BATWRITE
Saturday, July 26, 10:00a-12:00p EST - BATWRITE
Tuesday, July 29, 4:00p-6:00p EST - BATWRITE
Thursday, July 31, 10:00a-12:00p EST - BATWRITE
curious what ppl are saying about batwrite?
Here's what ppl are saying:
I learned how beneficial it is to be in a space that says whatever happens here is OK. I felt free to close my eyes and type with abandon just for the sake of writing with no outcome in mind.
Getting a good belly laugh in before writing is something I didn't know I needed.
A space for procrastinators, friends, fellow writers and jokes, funny slides, ideas and encouragement!
I’ve been dealing with the worst writers block, not to mention problems concentrating, and in today’s BATWRITE, I was able to get the most done than I have in months! I credit this to your sense of humor and ability to create a community in a digital space. It can be challenging when you’re not going into an office to feel connected to other writers; BATWRITE really helps squash that feeling of isolation.
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