Write Better
a project by Quarter Mile
Our attempt to help you become a better writer.
Many of our friends have asked us how they can become better writers and how they can build a writing habit. In the past, we have not had a great place to point them.
So we are trying out a new experiment. It’s called Write Better.
Write Better is a 45-day project where our goal is to help you become a better writer. You will (1) learn how to write more effectively, (2) write a lot, and (3) get feedback from us on your writing.
Why do we think this will work for you?
Because writing is a lot like running. If you want to run a marathon, you don’t pay $1000 for a long-form guide on how to run a marathon. You just get out there and start running. And if you’re really serious, you hire a coach who can help you fix what you’re doing wrong so that you can improve much faster.
So, if you want to build a writing habit and produce higher-quality writing, we believe that you should write a lot of words. And we believe that receiving (quality!) feedback will help speed up the process.
That’s what Write Better is: our attempt to help you Write Better. It is like you decided you wanted to run a marathon in 45 days and wanted to hire a coach to make sure you actually did it this time, but for writing.
Here is what you can expect if you sign up:
- For 45 days straight, we’ll send you an email with writing prompts and a writing lesson. You will try to write 1,000 words every day. You can access all 45 lessons in essay form online.
- You will produce (at least) two essays. We will message you to check on your progress.
- We will give you personal, direct feedback on your essays.
- You get unlimited email support. Email us with doubts or questions and we will answer.
- An invite to a group chat with all the other writers from Write Better. You can use it for ideas, feedback, and meeting other writers.
You will end the project:
- Having written more than 45,000 words.
- Having built a consistent writing habit.
- With at least two essays you are (hopefully) proud of.
- Hopefully, as a better writer than you were 45 days ago.
Who are we? We are not the “best” writers in the world. That’s not the point. We are just two people who have written millions of words on the internet that have been read by millions of people. And lots of our friends ask us how to become better writers. Hence: Write Better.
We’re thinking of charging ~$500 for this. If the idea seems interesting to you, put your email in the box below and we’ll give you a discount when we decide to start. Giving us your email is not binding in any way. You can type your email in even if you are only 10% sure you’d ever want to do this.
If you have more questions, read on or email us.
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Questions you may have
+ What have you written (and why should I care about your feedback)?
We have written millions of words on the internet, both for ourselves (like on our blog Quarter Mile, or on Next Play) and for some companies you may know of (including Stripe, Meter, Runway, Increase, Product Hunt, and Flighty).
We do not claim to be “writing experts”, if such a term even means anything. We are just two people who have written a lot of words and would like to share what we have found to be the fastest ways to improve our own writing; that is, writing a lot and receiving good feedback.
(We do think that we give pretty good feedback.)
+ What if I don’t want to (or can’t) write 1,000 words every day?
You don’t have to. Regardless, we will send you an email with prompts and a lesson every day for 45 days. And we encourage you to write as many words as you can, even if you have to skip some days or you don’t hit 1,000 a day. Because writing a lot of words is your most likely path towards becoming a better writer.
+ What does ‘unlimited email support’ mean?
Email us with any questions or doubts you have about your writing and we will answer as soon as we can. Of course, no human is ‘unlimited’, and so if you email us 1,000 times we will not be able to (effectively) answer your 1,000 emails. If we find ourselves unable to respond to your emails, we will give you a refund.
+ Why do you want me to write so many words every day?
Speed matters. The more you can lower your mental barrier for writing, the more you will write and the quicker you will become a better writer. If you can write 1,000 words a day for two months you will make writing a default in your life. A habit. Not a chore, not something with friction, but something you can just do.
+ Is there a student discount?
Yes. When we kick off the first round of Write Better, you can email us proof that you are currently a student and we will give you a discounted rate.
+ Why does it cost $500?
Because we want to maximize the chance that you get value out of the 45 days.
This sounds like a silly answer, so here is why:
- Providing email support and feedback on your essays is real work, and real time, for us.
- We believe it may be easier for you to stay accountable if you have paid money to do so.
+ What if I don’t like Write Better?
If you regret participating in this project you can email us, explain why, and we will do our best to refund you. “Do our best” means that if we think you are acting in good faith and truly did not find it valuable (i.e. you are not abusing the system and trying to get everything for free) we will refund you.
+ Why 45 days (and not 2 weeks, or a month)?
Because it increases the likelihood that writing becomes a habit that sticks—and increases the likelihood that you come out the other side as a fundamentally better writer.
+ How long will Write Better exist?
We don’t know. This is an experimental project. Maybe we only run it once. Maybe we run it for 10 years.
+ What’s the painting at the top of this page?
That is Autumn in North America by Frederic Edwin Church.
+ How can I get an invite when you launch Write Better?
Just put your email in the box below to let you know you’re interested. Invites go out in the order that people left their emails in the box below. You can put your email in this box even if there is only a small chance you’d sign up for the project.
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