This morning, I woke up to one of my Twitter posts going viral haha.

I took a meme of Katy Perry kissing the ground after returning from a space flight.

The caption I wrote was:

"Writers coming back to Google Docs after trying Notion."

🤣

I didn't know this would slap so hard!

There are over 50,000 impressions and 100+ comments.

Which leads us to the first question I am featuring in today's #AskAlinAnything.

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What is your writing platform of choice? Why?

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Per my viral (& hilarious) tweet - I was all in on Notion for over 3 years.

But for the last 6 months, I've been back on Google Docs.

Mostly because my main writing tool is a Smart Typewriter called the FreeWrite.

​(I made an entire video about it here)​

With my typewriter, once I finish writing an email, I click send, and woooosh!

It goes straight into a new Google Doc in the cloud.

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Like magic! 🪄

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Eventually, I realized I simplified my own writing process!

1. Jot ideas down on paper
2. Write it on the typewriter
3. Grab it from Google Docs and schedule it in Kit
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This lets me write more with dilly dallying around software all day.

Less software, more writing.

Next question:

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What's the basic 101 thing to do to create intrigue in any email before the big payoff of the big idea around which the email is based?

like how do I effectively create intrigue, curioisity, and engage the reader till the main idea and how do I practice it.

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In storytelling, there's this concept called Open Loops.

An Open Loop is the start of a story without finishing it immediately.

It's like a little cliffhanger for your brain.

You see TV shows and books do this all the time.

They'll end a chapter or episode by opening a brand new story loop.

They do this because your brain cannot relax until you resolve the story of an Open Loop that you're interested in.

A great way to do this with email is to create an open loop with your subject line.

Then dive right into telling the story when they open.

The key here is NOT to drive to a "big idea" or lesson.

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You're just telling the story!

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Then when you DO payoff the big idea, it's a huge AHA moment because they never saw it coming.

Trying to tease the big idea in the story is amateur writer stuff.

A pro sets up the Easter eggs in a non-obvious way, then pays them off one by one.

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For example...

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Once I wrote a subject line, "Big guru EXPOSES me!?"

That's an open loop.

There's a story there and now you're VERY curious about what happened.

In fact, if you didn't read that email...

I bet your brain is BEGGING with curiosity right now haha

I wouldn't be surprised if I get a ton of replies to THIS email asking me to forward them that email to read it!

That's how powerful open loops are.

Then I tell the entire story, dropping little easter eggs along the way and finish it with a big AHA moment that usually points out one of my reader's big pain points and how to solve it.

This is timeless stuff.

The best way to practice it is to write one story a day.

Go to Kit.com.

Start a free email list.

Add people to it and send them a daily story.

There are no hacks other than puttin' in the work.

You can't prompt AI for this one. Cause get what?

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It doesn't know your stories!

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It has no idea of what happened and how to connect the dots.

(WHAT!? SOMETHING AI CAN'T DO!?)

Haha.

If you enjoyed this tip on storytelling, I made an entire video on how to write addictive stories that people literally beg you for more.

​Watch it here.​

Your copywriting friend,

Alin "EL Copy Goat" Dragu