I’ve spent decades working with journalists, executives, and PR pros to help them write better. I’ve analyzed hundreds of speeches and op-eds by thought leaders. And I’ve written and edited hundreds of articles that have appeared in national publications, under my name and under many others.
I’ve discovered that the most compelling writing shares seven essential qualities. AI can’t give these to you—in fact, the absence of these qualities is a big part of the reason that most AI-generated writing is so terrible.
Now I’m excited to announce a 4-week mini-course on writing for humans that’s drawn from the lessons I’ve learned over decades as a journalist and editorial consultant.
Do you wish you could write Substack posts that really resonate with people?
Do you have a thought-leadership post, byline, or op-ed that you’ve been thinking of writing but don’t know how to start?
Is there something you’re dying to tell the world but don’t know if you can convince people that it’s important?
Did you wish you could write more persuasively?
If you want to learn more about how to write better and stand out from the rising tide of AI slop, I can help.
The course runs September 1-30, and you are warmly invited to join. All you need to do is sign up for my newsletter as a paying subscriber.
I’m a former WIRED and VentureBeat editor, current editorial consultant for top tech executives, and COOP Careers writing instructor. I’ve helped hundreds of people express themselves more persuasively in thought-leadership articles, LinkedIn posts, blog posts, and columns.
This mini-course is meant for writers of all levels. I’ll help you to write and publish a persuasive article/post/essay of your own, on any topic, using the seven essential qualities of great writing as a guide.
Over four weekly, subscriber-only posts and four live events, I’ll help you start with an idea, clarify what’s at stake, develop your argument, and polish it so it’s ready for publication.
Every Monday in September, I’ll share a subscriber-only post that explains a different aspect of writing for thought leadership
Each post will include a prompt to help you write or edit your work in the coming week
Every Wednesday in September, I’ll host a workshop (on Google Meet) or a chat (here on Substack) where I’ll go over that week’s lesson and answer your questions.
Bring your ideas and your work in progress: If there’s something you want help with, we can workshop it here.
Here’s the schedule (times for the live events TBA):
In this course, you’ll learn:
The essential elements that make great writing so compelling
Where most thought leadership fails: By failing to be clear about the stake
How to make a more compelling case
The two most crucial elements of style on which you need to focus
To join the course, just sign up as a paying member of my newsletter, ROUGH DRAFTS, by clicking the blue button here:
Discounts are available for students or interns in any field, including COOP Careers fellows. If that’s you, drop me a line and I’ll hook you up.
I’m contributing my Substack proceeds in 2026 to literacy and poetry nonprofits, so your subscription fee will help others read.
Questions? Hit me up at dylan@tweney.com, or in the comments. I look forward to seeing you in class!