Don Kelly and Daryl Conner are two psychologists. They might have the answer to your question: Why do you quit?

They created a model that explains the emotional stages a person goes through when trying to make a change. In simple words, the stages you go through to win. To become successful.

Why do you need to understand this?

Because if you don’t understand it, you will keep quitting again and again...

And then starting again.

Again and again.

Forever.

They state that there are 5 stages when someone goes through change.

Whether it is getting your first 10K newsletter subscribers, earning $10K a month, or starting your first business.

Regardless of what goal you choose, you will experience these 5 stages.

1. Uninformed Optimism

2. Informed Pessimism

3. Valley of Despair

4. Informed Optimism

5. Success and Fulfillment

1. Uninformed Optimism

This is the first stage.

You’re excited. You see all the benefits of your goal without experiencing any of the costs. Life feels good. You start thinking about how your life will look once you achieve your goal.

But the sad thing is...

This stage doesn’t last long.

2. Informed Pessimism

This stage is a little harder.

You slowly start getting hit by reality. All the benefits you saw before seem less valuable now. The cost of change feels high.

And you start questioning whether this goal is really worth achieving or not.

3. Valley of Despair

This is the 3rd stage.

And this is where most people give up. You start to feel all the pain you never imagined you would have to go through. Things aren’t working the way you thought they would.

You’re putting in the effort. But the results aren’t coming.

At this stage, quitting seems like the easiest option. And most people quit.

But remember: If you quit at this stage, you’re going to start again from stage one.

And guess what?

Stage 3 will be waiting for you again. If you quit again... You go back to stage one. And this loop will continue forever.

There isn’t any way to skip this stage. You have to go through the Valley of Despair.

4. Informed Optimism

If somehow you pass the 3rd stage...

There is a little relief for you. You will start getting some of the rewards and benefits you imagined in the 1st stage. Not all of them. But some of them.

You start finding things that actually work for you. You start understanding what you need to do. And if you keep going and pushing through this stage...

The final stage arrives.

5. Success and Fulfillment

This is the final stage.

You start getting the benefits you imagined in the first stage.

Sorry...

More than you imagined. You start living the life you imagined when you first started. And suddenly, all those difficult days start making sense.

I am at the 3rd stage right now. Putting in all the effort and getting less in return.

And honestly, sometimes quitting feels like the easiest option. This article is a reminder for me and for people like me who are also in the 3rd stage.

Don’t quit.

If there is only one thing I want you to remember, it is this:

If you quit at stage 3 for any reason, you are going to start again from stage one.

There isn’t any way to skip the 3rd stage.

The Valley of Despair is part of the process.

So don’t quit just because it is getting harder.

Maybe you’re closer than you think.

If you don’t know...

who Gary Halbert is?

He was the copywriter behind sales letters that generated over $1 billion in sales. His Boron Letters are still studied by writers and marketers decades later.

I think this information is enough for a new writer to learn from him. So I started studying his work.

In this article, I will share my top 4 lessons that I learned while studying his work.

It’s around 11:42 am. I had breakfast around 1.5 hours ago. Right now, again 😅 I am writing this on my phone while sitting on the couch.

But wait, why am I saying this to you?

Because this makes my article more personal. It builds a bond between the reader and the writer and that’s what a writer wants. To build a relationship with their readers.

So, lesson no.1: Make your writing personal to build a bond with your reader.

How to do that?

You don’t need to write the whole thing about your personal life. Just add where you are and what you are doing while writing your work. This will do enough job.

Now let’s move to lesson no. 2.

New writers make this mistake, especially when they are writing online.

They create clickbait headlines to catch attention. This means headlines that make a big promise just to get attention but the article doesn’t have anything related to the headline.

Don’t do that.

It creates a bad impression and over time it can hurt your image.

That’s lesson 2: Don’t create fake attention.

Now, the next lesson can help you deal with finding ideas.

Finding what to write about is one of the biggest frustrations new writers face. But here is a simple method that can help.

He says instead of waiting for an idea, start writing. Start putting your thoughts down on paper and slowly you will find an idea to work on. I use this method every time since I learned it. And I also used it to find this idea.

That’s lesson no. 3: Movement : Start moving. Start writing instead of waiting for an idea to appear.

This lesson can help you find ideas. But the next one will help you make your headline more attention-grabbing.

Tell your reader that this article is for them. Let them know who the article is for.

And how would you do that?

Mention your reader in your headline. That’s lesson no. 4

For example if you are writing about: How to make money on Substack. Mention your specific audience.

If it is for people with under 100 subscribers, write:

How to Make Money From Substack When You Have Under 100 Subscribers

If you are writing for students, write:

How to Make Money as a Student on Substack.

These are the 4 lessons I learned from studying Gary Halbert.

I am still learning and testing them in my own writing. But I think these simple lessons can help any new writer improve their writing and connect better with readers.

That’s it for today.

Have a great weekend! I hope you get some time to relax and enjoy it.

17th August, 2026

The day I finally reached my first 100 subscribers on Substack. It took me around 140+ days, dozens of articles and 350+ notes.

In this article, I’m going to share 3 real lessons that actually helped me grow.

1. You never know what is going to work

Let me explain.

Before writing anything, we judge it. Like Is this idea good? This one is not. This is interesting. This is not. Etc. etc.

Don’t do this.

Because you will never know what is going to go viral and what is not.

See this example:

This was my note from last night. I wasn’t even going to publish it because I found it less attractive and I was feeling very sleepy. But anyway, I posted it.

And when I woke up, I was speechless. Because I got 40+ likes and 10+ comments on that note within just one night.

Lesson #1: You will never know what will kick off until you post it.

Now, let’s move to the next one.

2. Do experiments

You need to be consistent to grow, not just on Substack but in anything in life . I agree with that. But...

If you are continuously working on one thing and it’s not working, then that’s a problem.

You need to change your approach. You need to try something different. Try different things until you find something that works. But don’t just try things randomly.

Look at what top creators in your niche are posting and find the outliers. Those notes that get much more engagement than their normal notes.

For example, if they are getting 70–80 likes on average but one note gets 400+ likes, that’s an outlier. Find the outlier and create a note around the same idea.

Remember: don’t copy. Get inspired.

And this brings me to another point.

3. Double down on what works

When you find something that works for you maybe one topic gets more likes than another don’t ignore it. Notice it. And write more notes around it.

For example: This was the first one that worked for me

So instead of ignoring it, I created another note around the same idea:

And it also went viral.

So , when you find something that works, don’t ignore it. Strategically create and publish another note around the same idea.

But there is still one big problem with this method... and because of that, your growth can get stuck. But that’s for another day.

Remember, notes are a discovery engine. They are a way to get discovered by people. But articles build authority and make people subscribe.

If you’re struggling to consistently find article ideas, then read the following article...

vrajnotes

This 1 Method Can Help You Find More Substack Article Ideas (Especially If You’re Under 100 Subscribers)

Tuesday, 12:59 pm…

Read more

13 days ago · 12 likes · 1 comment · vrajnotes

Tuesday, 12:59 pm

18th August, 2026

I have just completed my lunch (around 30 minutes before) and right now I’m laying down on the floor, writing this article using my phone.

Finding your article idea is really hard. Especially if you are a beginner. You try different methods. At the beginning, they work, but slowly, slowly they stop showing their magic.

But recently (touch wood), I found one method that is incredibly effective for me. It gets more effective as you use it. It is quite simple that you probably won’t take it seriously.

For this method, you need to create one swipe file.

1. Capture

Our brain is incredibly effective at finding ideas. It will give you multiple and effective ideas that you can’t even imagine.

But the bad news is that it can’t hold them. If you fail to catch them, they are lost like they never appeared.

So, capture them before they disappear. For example, if you suddenly get an idea for an article about a copywriting framework, don’t just write “copywriting framework” somewhere.

Write a simple headline and 3–4 points you want to talk about. This will make it much easier to turn that small idea into a complete article later. And don’t worry about whether the idea is good or bad when you capture it. Your job at this stage is only to catch it before it disappears.

Okay, now you have the first part of the method: capture ideas when they appear.

But there is one problem.

How will you get ideas in the first place?

How will you train your brain to do that?

The answer is no. You can’t train it...

But you can make it better at doing its job. You do that by feeding it good information. It’s like garbage in, garbage out.

To get ideas from your mind, you first need to put input into your brain. You do that by reading books, other people’s work, listening to podcasts, or anything else that gives you good information.

There isn’t any rule about what kind of information to consume, but read things related to your work most of the time.

Well, to sum it up, it has only two steps:

1. Make a habit of reading good work.

2. Capture the ideas when they appear.

Every week I share some of my secrets on writing and growing on Substack. It’s only for subscribers. If you want to get them, make sure you subscribe.

Subscribe now

Your articles are boring.
People aren’t interested in reading your article.
You are putting all your effort into writing.

First, you have the headache of finding an idea to write about. Then, even after you find an idea, you still have to write a headline that people will click.

After going through all that struggle, you write and finally publish. But still, people aren’t caring about what you write.

I know why.

You are missing one important part in your writing. Because of that missing part, your article isn’t interesting enough to keep people reading. And once you fix it, your article can become so interesting that people won’t want to stop reading.

(Warning: This article is for a complete beginner. If you aren’t one, happily skip it.)

One quick thing before we continue: I’m growing an audience on Substack from zero without any traffic from other social platforms. I share everything I’m learning along the way and publish 3 articles every week about what’s helping me grow.

If you find it useful, hit subscribe.

Subscribe now

What Are You Missing?

So, what are you missing?

Structure.

Your articles are boring because you are writing them randomly. You are missing a structure that gets the reader’s attention and maintains it till the end. And the good news is, you don’t have to create this structure yourself.

There are already proven structures specifically designed to make writing more interesting and keep people engaged. They are called copywriting frameworks.

These frameworks are designed around the way our minds work. They are also used by successful writers and copywriters. And I think every new writer should know about them. Because they can help you make your writing better, more interesting, and more addictive.

Here are two of the most popular ones:

AIDA

A stands for Attention
I stands for Interest
D stands for Desire
A stands for Action

PAS

P stands for Problem
A stands for Agitate
S stands for Solution

There are hundreds of frameworks out there. Just search “copywriting frameworks” and you will find them.

The goal of this article wasn’t to teach you every copywriting framework. It was simply to make a complete beginner aware that these frameworks exist.

Because when you are just starting your writing journey, you don’t have any idea about that.

That’s it for today. If you’re a beginner, start with these frameworks and experiment with them in your next article.

Average people have patterns.

You want to become successful. For that, you read books on money, discipline, business, etc. You watch videos of people you admire like Alex Hormozi and Ali Abdaal. You listen to podcasts, follow successful people online, save useful posts and learn new things every day. You get inspired by them and start taking action.

But still, somehow, you end up being the same person.

So what is keeping you from becoming the person you want to become?

I am not going to teach you how to become that top 1% because I haven’t reached there yet. But I will share 4 patterns or habits that average people have. Habits that keep them average.

These patterns are simple. But they can have a big impact on your life.

1. Thinking knowledge is power

Average people think knowledge is power but that is only half the truth. Knowledge only becomes power when you use it.

You use it to create a better life.

You use it to make other people’s lives better.

Application of knowledge is important because action is what moves the needle. Successful people know that very well. You will never find a successful person who is just learning and not applying. A person who applies what they learn from a book continuously will eventually beat someone who only keeps reading.

Nowadays everyone is reading books but only a small group of people apply what they learn. Be part of that group.

2. Starting new things

Average people start new things with excitement.

But when the excitement is gone and it starts revealing its true identity, they give up.

They give up when things get harder and tougher. Then they start something new again and give up when that starts getting tough. That’s the loop.

But exceptional people, the top 1%, don’t do that. Because they know it is going to get tougher and harder. They know that it is part of the process and that they have to go through it.

That skill the ability to go through the hard phase, is what makes them different.

3. Setting goals without any plan

A goal without a plan is just a wish.

A plan works like a bridge between the goal and you.

Most people set a goal.

Some people set a written goal.

Out of them, some make a plan.

Some implement the plan but give up after they don’t get the desired result.

And a small group of people implement, iterate, improve, and keep implementing the plan until they reach the goal.

Make sure you make a plan and implement it deliberately.

4. I will do it someday

Average people procrastinate a lot.

They think they have plenty of time to achieve things in life. They want to achieve their goals, but they decide to start acting someday. That’s Someday Island, where unsuccessful people live. But exceptional people work the opposite way.

Instead of acting on that someday, they act this week.

Instead of waiting until the end of the week, if they can do it today, they do it.

And instead of waiting until the end of the day, if they can do it now, they do it. That’s what separates them. They decrease the time between thought and action.

To conclude, I just want to say one thing.

Do you remember what I said earlier? It is simple. And yes it is going to be simple.

But not easy.

All the best.

Nobody tells you this.

Your article can be great but people can still leave after the first paragraph.

Because you failed to grab their attention in the opening paragraph.

Grabbing your reader’s attention is not rocket science. You just need these three simple steps that I am about to tell you. This method is one of the simplest and easiest ones from the dozens of articles I read on this topic.

Before I tell you the steps, remember: readers only read your opening paragraph if they click. To make them click, your headline should be irresistible.

To craft that type of headline, read this article.

Step 1: Make them feel understood

Understand your reader’s struggles and pain points and show them you understand them.

For example:

Instead of writing: You need to post consistently to grow your Substack.

Write this: You publish an article you’re proud of, refresh your dashboard 10 times, and still see almost no new subscribers.

This is important. When readers feel you understand them, they are more likely to give you their attention.

Now you have made them feel understood. But why should they read your work?

Step 2: Promise them a benefit

Tell the reader exactly what they will get.

What benefit will they get in return?

For example: In this article, I told you that you will learn how to write reader-grabbing opening paragraphs.

Readers only read your articles if they get something beneficial to them in return.

Now you have learned the two most important things to write attention-grabbing opening paragraphs:

One is to make them feel understood. The second is to tell them why they should care.

Your 70% job is done.

Step 3: Make the solution feel simple

Still, people might leave your article.

They might think it is going to be too difficult to solve that problem. Your job is simple. Tell the reader it is simple and easy. You will help them achieve that.

For example, in this article, I used this line to make you believe: You just need these three simple steps to grab it that I am about to tell you.

Make your reader believe that it isn’t rocket science.

Now your job is 100% done. You have learned all the things needed to write an opening paragraph that grabs attention.

How to use it?

Start with the struggle or pain point that your reader suffers from.

Then tell them why they should care.

What’s in it for them?

And finally, make them believe it is simple, not complex.

And that’s it. Now go try it on your next article.

You can spend hours writing and still lose the reader in 10 seconds.

80% of readers never open the article. And of the 20% who open it, 50% stop reading after the first paragraph.

These 5 questions will help you make sure you don’t lose readers’ attention.

Question 1: Does my headline make readers click?

Your headline is the most important piece of your whole article.

The goal of your headline is simple: make the reader click. If your headline doesn’t make them curious or give them a reason to click, they won’t even see how good your article is.

Question 2: Does my headline mention the benefit of reading it?

One of the best ways to make a better headline is to tell readers what they will get from reading your article.

Readers are always asking themselves: What will I get from this? Make the answer clear in your headline.

Question 3: Can I make the first line impossible to ignore?

The goal of your headline is to make the reader read the first sentence. And the goal of the first sentence is to make the reader read the next sentence.

Question 4: Does my intro make the reader want to read the rest of my article?

Your intro has one job: make the reader want to continue.

Don’t take too long to get to the point. Show the reader why this article is worth their time and make them curious about what comes next.

Question 5: Can people skim this fast?

People on the internet don’t read your article first.

They skim it and decide whether it is worth reading. Design your article for skimming.

Hope this helps. Have a great day!

I have been writing on Substack for 140+ days now.

Once I stopped doing these four things, my Substack started growing 2x faster. In this article, I’ll share what they are.

1. Stop Just Posting Notes

Don’t just hit the publish button and leave.

Spend 10–15 minutes engaging with other people before posting. It can be your subscribers, followers, or other writers. I have tried this myself and it works for me 8 out of 10 times.

Since I started doing this, I usually get more reach and engagement.

2. Stop Treating Substack Like YouTube

On YouTube, you can upload a video and leave.

Substack doesn’t work like that. Substack is a community, not just a publishing platform. The more you read, comment and engage with other people’s work, the more people notice you.

The earlier you understand this the faster you will grow.

3. Stop Posting AI-Written Notes

AI can write the perfect Note.

But it can’t write like you. Your personality is what makes people follow and subscribe to you. Anyone can generate an AI Note. But nobody else can share your story, your experience or your opinion.

That’s what makes your writing worth reading.

4. Stop Treating Subscribers Like Just a Number

I made this mistake for a long time and I regret it now.

Subscribers are real people not just numbers. Spend some time reading and engaging with their work. Do the same with your followers if you can. Treat them the way you would like to be treated. I can’t read and engage with all my subscribers and followers every day but I always try to do my best.

People are more likely to support someone who supports them first.

If there is only one thing I want you to remember, it’s this:

Stop treating Substack like a one-way publishing platform. Start treating it like a community, and your growth will take care of itself.

Success leaves footprints.

If we follow the same steps we may get the same result.

With this mindset for the last two days I have been finding and studying viral articles on Substack so I can use what I learn in my own articles. In this article I’m going to share what I found.

What I found

They focus on the reader.

They write about the things their audience desires.

Most new writers (including myself) focus on themselves when finding topic ideas. That’s good for writing but not for writing articles that go viral. You can still write about yourself but make sure you set realistic expectations.

One more thing I noticed is that they try to mention that desire in the headline.

Example 1

How Do Substack Writers Actually Make Money? I Analyzed 100 Top Earners: There Are Only 5 Income Engines Powering Their Knowledge Businesses

Katharine Gallagher didn’t write about what she wanted to say. She wrote about what her readers wanted to know: how to make money on Substack. That’s a strong desire for almost every new writer. The article received 800+ likes 73 comments and 77 restacks. It shows how powerful it can be when you write about something your audience already wants.

Example 2

How to Sell Without Feeling Salesy

Matt Gary focused on another common desire. Most creators want to sell their products but they don’t want to feel p*shy or sound like a salesperson. His headline speaks directly to that problem. The article received 200+ likes 16 comments and 19 restacks. It shows that readers pay attention when an article solves a problem they’re already thinking about.

General Principle

The general principle is this:

1. Write about the things your readers truly desire.

2. Try to mention that desire in the headline.

To conclude write about the topics your readers desire.

But one more thing I noticed is that these writers also hook the reader at the beginning by describing the problem in a way people can relate to.

I’ll share how to do that once I find and test a framework that actually works.

Just something I wanted to share.

No CTA 😊

July wasn’t perfect.

I made mistakes, found a few things that worked and learned a lot. In this article I want to share what happened, what worked, what didn’t and one lesson I’m taking into August. It also gave me confidence that the things I was doing were actually working.

What I Achieved

1. I got 50+ subscribers this month

It may not sound like a big number but for me it does because before this month I only got around 10. It also gave me confidence that the things I was doing were actually working

2. Published 12 articles

Quality content beats quantity.

But if you’re just starting out, you need to create quantity first to create quality. Your first 100 articles are probably going to suck. But they will teach you more than any book.

With this mindset I set a goal to create 100 articles at a speed that fits me. This is the most articles I've published in a single month.

What Worked

1. I started getting more reach

I started posting 4 Notes a day and 3 articles a week.

I think it worked because posting more Notes gave me more chances to get discovered.

2. Found one Note type that worked for me

Instead of writing only motivational quotes, I started adding my personal opinions and experiences. Like this one

It worked because people don't just want another motivational quote. They want to know what you think. Adding my own opinions and experiences made my Notes feel more personal and that gave people a reason to engage instead of just scrolling past them.

What Didn’t Work

1. Posting AI-written Notes

Before, I used to copy other people’s Notes that worked well and ask AI to create similar ones.

It worked but I stopped doing that because people can tell when something is AI-written and it feels like cheating.

Now I only use AI when I’m short on time and don’t have time to create another one.

2. My idea generation system

It included two things: sharing what I learned and changing the format of my articles. But there were times when I didn’t learn anything worth sharing, so the system didn’t work.

I’m experimenting with other methods to find a good enough system that works for me. Once I find one, I’ll definitely share it with you.

One Lesson

There isn’t a perfect framework that works for you. You need to modify it to fit your own situation.

Let's see what August has to teach me

When I first started on Substack, I had no idea what actually worked.

Over the last few months, I noticed a few simple things that made a big difference. They helped me get better engagement and better results.

If you’re a new Substack writer, I think these five tips will help you too.

Tip #1: The Most Ignored Growth Tool on Substack

Start Using Analytics

Most new writers never look at their Analytics. That’s a mistake

Analytics can tell you:

1. Which types of articles and Notes perform best.

2. When your audience is most active, so you can post at the right time.

Personally, Analytics helped me find the exact time when most of my audience is online. Once I started posting at that time, my engagement improved.

Start using Analytics

Tip #2: Engage With Your Audience Before Posting

I don’t know why this works, but it does.

Since I started engaging for 10–15 minutes before posting, my reach and engagement have gone up a lot. Before this, I usually got only 2–3 likes, and one of them was mine. After I started doing this, I began getting around 8 likes on a Note. I know 8 likes isn’t a huge number, but when you’re just starting, it feels like a big win.

Spend 10–15 minutes engaging before you post anything.

Tip 3: Post 4 Notes a Day

From my experience, four Notes a day are enough to get good results. Just make sure you leave a gap of at least 3–4 hours between each Note.

Tip 4: Community Notes Don’t Work as Well

This is just my personal opinion.

I think Community Notes only work in two situations:

1. You already have a large audience.

2. You’re posting “like for like” or “sub for sub” Notes.

Yes, this can get you more subscribers.

But many of those subscribers become inactive because they subscribed for the exchange, not because they wanted your content.

Tip 5: Don’t Just Post Motivational Notes

Anyone can copy and paste motivational quotes.

Instead, add your own experience.

Use this simple format:

• Start with a motivational hook.

• Then share your personal experience, lesson, or opinion.

That makes your Note feel original, and people have a reason to follow you, not just the quote

Here's a quick recap

1. Use Analytics to understand what works and when to post.

2. Engage before posting to get more reach and likes.

3. Post 4 Notes a day with a 3–4 hour gap.

4. Don’t rely on Community Notes for growth.

5. Add your own experience instead of just posting motivational quotes.

Most community notes are common.

Things like Connect with writers who have less than 100 subscribers or Describe your Substack in one sentence. Hundreds of people use these every day. If you want to stand out from the crowd, then this article is for you.

In this article, I’ll share 10 community note questions you can post to get more likes, more comments, and grow your Substack.

What Are Community Notes?

If you don’t know what community notes are, let me explain first.

Community notes are posts that invite readers to engage with your content. Their main goal is to get more likes and comments by asking simple questions that people enjoy answering.

Note 1

What is one tiny, invisible victory you had this week that no one noticed?

Mine is reaching 70 subscribers.
(Mention yours.)

Note 2

What is the worst piece of writing advice you actually followed when you were starting out?

Mine was focusing only on writing and ignoring the importance of connecting with other writers.

(Mention yours.)

Note 3

If you could go back to Day 1 of your Substack, what would you do differently?

I would engage more with other writers from the beginning.
(Mention yours)

Note 4

Every great Substack writer is:

1. Curious

2. Consistent

3. ?

Note 5

How do you start writing?

I start with the headline
(Mention yours)

Note 6

What’s harder for you?

Starting or finishing?

For me, it’s finishing
(Mention yours)

Note 7

What’s the next milestone you’re excited about?

Mine is reaching 100 subscribers
(Mention yours)

Note 8

Are you a morning writer or a late-night writer?

I’m a morning writer
(Mention yours)

Note 9

Do you stick to a publishing schedule, or do you only publish whenever inspiration hits?

I stick to a schedule
(Mention yours)

Note 10

I’ve been writing on Substack for 112 days.
(Replace this with your own number)

How many days has it been for you?

One Personal Suggestion

The first hour after you post a note is the most important.

If you get 4 to 5 likes and a few comments early, your note has a much better chance of performing well. But when you’re new, getting that much engagement is hard. I suggest spending at least 30 minutes engaging with other writers right after you publish your note. Leave thoughtful comments, like their posts, and be part of the conversation. If you’re lucky, this can help your note get some early traction.

That’s it for today. Keep writing and keep connecting with other writers.

See you soon!

Readers aren’t looking for reasons to stay. They’re looking for excuses to leave.

The moment they get bored, confused, or lose interest, they’re gone. That’s why your opening line matters so much. Over the last two days, I spent hours studying article openings. I looked at what grabs attention fast and what makes people want to keep reading.

In this article, I’ll share 10 opening line formulas you can steal for your own Substack articles.

If you’re a new Substack writer, start here.

1. Myth Buster

Meaning

Challenge a popular piece of advice your reader already believes. Then reveal why it’s actually holding them back. The surprise makes them want to keep reading.

Formula

[Popular Advice] is actually [hurting you]. Here’s why.

Example: Writing every day is making you a worse writer. Here’s why

Best For

Challenging common beliefs and grabbing attention fast.

2. Hidden Leak

Meaning

Point out a small mistake your reader doesn’t even realize they’re making. Show how it’s quietly ruining all their hard work.

Formula

You’re putting hours into [hard work], but you’re quietly losing [desired result] at [exact moment].

Example: You’re spending hours writing your article, but you’re losing readers in the first sentence.

Best For

Articles about mistakes, improvements, and optimization.

3. Exact Proof

Meaning

Use a small, believable result instead of a huge success story. Readers trust goals that feel possible for someone at their stage.

Formula

You don’t need [big goal]. You just need [small believable result] to transform your [situation].

Example: You don’t need 10,000 subscribers. You just need your first 100 loyal readers.

Best For

Teaching beginners and building credibility.

4. Result Tease

Meaning

Show readers the exact result they want, but hold back the one key detail that gets them there. Curiosity pulls them into the article.

Formula

There is one [small change] in your [draft/process] that turns your [problem] into [desired result].

Example: There’s one sentence in your introduction that can double how many people finish your article.

Best For

How-to guides and educational articles.

5. Odd Location

Meaning

Start with a specific place or moment where you discovered something important. A vivid setting makes your story feel real.

Formula

I was sitting in [specific place] when I realized [painful truth].

Example: I was staring at my empty bank account when I realized money wasn’t my biggest problem. My habits were.

Best For

Personal stories and lessons learned.

6. Pain Bridge

Meaning

Say the private thought your reader keeps having. Then show you’ve been through the same struggle and found a way out.

Formula

You keep wondering [private thought]. I stayed stuck there until I realized [turning point].

Example :You keep wondering why nobody reads your articles. I asked myself the same question until I realized my opening lines were the problem.

Best For

Building trust and emotional connection.

7. Pain Magnifier

Meaning

Take a small problem your reader ignores and reveal the bigger damage it’s causing over time. It turns a minor issue into an urgent one.

Formula

You keep ignoring [small problem], but every day it’s quietly draining your [valuable thing].

Example :You keep saying "I'll start tomorrow," but tomorrow has already stolen years from your life.

Best For

Creating urgency and motivating action.

8. Own Failure

Meaning

Admit a mistake you made that your reader is probably making too. Being honest makes you more relatable and believable.

Formula

I was embarrassed when I [specific mistake], because I thought I knew how to [skill].

Example :I was embarrassed when I realized I’d been giving writing advice I wasn’t following myself.

Best For

Story-based articles and personal lessons.

9. Pro Shortcut

Meaning

Call out a very specific type of reader. When people feel the article was written just for them, they’re more likely to keep reading.

Formula

If you’re a [Specific Reader] struggling with [Specific Problem], this is for you.

Example :If you’re a new Substack writer struggling to get people to read your articles, this is for you.

Best For

Niche audiences and beginner-focused content.

10. Target Call

Meaning

Compare the hard way your reader is doing something with the simpler system used by successful people. The contrast creates curiosity.

Formula

You’re exhausting yourself by [hard way], while [successful people] use a simple [system].

Example :You’re trying to write from a blank page every week, while top writers use a simple writing system.

Best For

Frameworks, systems, and productivity articles.

That’s it.

Happy weekend! 😊

Writing articles is easy, but writing articles that people actually want to read is the hard part.

This article is a step-by-step guide to writing your article from finding ideas to making it ready to publish. I have been continuously writing on Substack for 120+ days and have written 30+ articles. In this article, I am going to share all of that information. If you are new to writing, then this is for you.

1. How to Find Your Next 100 Ideas

Where do you find your next 100 ideas when you can’t even think of one?

Most beginners make the biggest mistake by choosing topics that are too broad. The broader your topic, the fewer combinations you can make. A good rule of thumb is to be as specific as you can. Because the more specific your topic is, the more combinations you can make.

Example:

V1: I want to write about writing.

V2: I want to write about writing for beginners.

V3: I want to write about writing for Substack writers who just started.

Can you see the difference?

Be as specific as you can.

Now you have the idea. But to come up with multiple combinations of ideas, you have to learn formatting.

a. How to Turn One Idea into Multiple Articles

One idea is enough.

With one idea, you can come up with multiple combinations. All you need is to learn formatting. It means deciding what type of article you want to write.

Here are 10 types of formats:

1. How-to Guide

2. Lessons

3. Mistakes

4. Lists

5. Case Study

6. Story

7. Comparison

8. Framework

9. Myths vs. Truth

10. Opinions / Take

Combine the format you want to use with your idea.

But what if you don’t know which topic to write about?

Here comes the second method.

b. Share What You Are Learning

You don’t need to be an expert.

There is always someone who is behind you. The information seems ordinary to you, but not to them. Just make sure you don’t pretend to be an expert or create fake credibility.

Share what you are learning.

Now you have learned how to come up with article ideas by playing the game of formatting and sharing what you learn.

But without a great headline, no one is going to click.

2. How to Write Headlines People Actually Want to Click

Your headline decides everything.

Because after reading your headline, people are going to decide whether to read your article or not.

Readers want answers to a few questions before they click. If you can answer them, then bravo!

Four Essentials of a Headline

1. What – What is this article about?

2. Who – Is this for me?

3. Outcome – What will I learn?

4. Effort – How much effort do I need to take?

Write your headline using these questions. This will immediately make your headline much more effective.

Most online readers don’t read your article first. They skim it and then decide whether to read it or not.

In the next section, you’ll learn how to make your article easy to skim.

3. How to Structure Your Article So Readers Can Scan It in Seconds

People don’t read first.

They skim the article, and then they decide whether to read it or not. So design your article for skimming.

Two ways to do that:

1. Try to write your articles using headings and subheadings. Make them large and bold.

2. Whenever you find an opportunity to turn a long paragraph into a list, do it.

Now you have made your article easy to skim.

But people can still leave if your intro is bad.

4. How to Write Intros That Hook Readers

Your intro decides if people keep reading.

In your intro, people want to know four things:

1. What is this piece about?

2. Is this for me?

3. What will I get in return?

4. What is your credibility?

You have already answered these in your headline. Now just make them a little more detailed (use the Onion method).

Now you have written your intro.

Only one thing is left.

5. How to Write Body Paragraphs That Don’t Bore Readers

Every paragraph should keep readers moving.

You shouldn’t repeat the same information. Your readers will get bored.

Here are two methods that work like magic.

A. Onion

The first sentence grabs the reader’s attention.

The second sentence explains what you mean.

The third sentence supports your point with proof, an example, or a story.

The fourth sentence reveals the deeper insight behind your idea.

The fifth sentence leaves the reader with a clear takeaway.

B. Deep Onion

Sometimes your idea needs more space.

The first sentence grabs the reader’s attention.

The second sentence explains what you mean.

The third sentence supports your point with proof, an example, or a story.

The fourth sentence adds more context or expands on the proof.

The fifth sentence explains why your point matters.

The sixth sentence reinforces the main idea and prepares the reader for the conclusion.

The seventh sentence delivers a strong conclusion.

Conclusion

That’s everything you need to write articles people actually want to read.

Here’s what you learned:

• How to find endless article ideas.

• How to turn one idea into multiple articles.

• How to write headlines people actually want to click.

• How to structure your article for easy skimming.

• How to write intros that hook readers.

• How to write body paragraphs that keep readers engaged.

None of these techniques will make you a great writer overnight. But if you apply them every time you write, your articles will get better with every publication.

Now stop learning about writing.

Open a blank page and write your next article

When your writing is good more people subscribe to your newsletter.

That’s why I started learning about writing. In this article I will share the top 5 tips I learned last week that can make your writing 10x better.

1. The Cliff Edge

Most writers waste the last word.

Readers remember the end of a sentence better than the middle. Look at great books, speeches, or viral posts, and you’ll notice they often end on the strongest word.

End every sentence with a word worth remembering.

2. Breadcrumb Writing

Never let your reader get hungry.

Every few lines, give readers a new idea. That’s why good stories, YouTube videos, and newsletters keep revealing something fresh instead of repeating the same point. When readers always find another breadcrumb, they naturally keep moving forward.

Curiosity is the fuel behind every great article.

3. The Airport Test

People scan before they read.

Most readers decide in seconds if your article is worth their time. That’s why clear headings work better than giant blocks of text. If someone can understand your article while rushing through an airport, you’ve already won.

Make your writing easy to scan.

4. Heartbeat Writing

Boring writing has a flat heartbeat.

When every sentence has the same length, your writing feels slow and predictable. Great writers mix short, medium, and long sentences because the changing rhythm keeps readers awake. Your words should feel alive from the first line to the last.

Write with a steady heartbeat.

5. The Twin Test

Don’t write like everyone else.

Most articles look the same because writers copy common ideas without noticing. Before writing your article make a list of common things people use around your topic then avoid every item from that list so your article feels different. This helps readers see your unique thinking instead of another copy.

Be different

That’s all from my side

On 17th July 2026, I reached my first 50 Substack subscribers.

I’ve been writing on Substack for more than 100 days now. During that time, I made several mistakes that slowed my growth. In this article, I’ll share the five biggest ones.

If you’re a beginner struggling to grow your Substack, this is for you.

Mistake 1: I Kept Delaying the Publish Button

You can’t grow if you don’t publish.

To grow on Substack, you need to publish articles. Notes can help you get attention, but articles are what build authority and keep people coming back. Until about three weeks ago, I had published only two articles.

Lesson: Publish at least one article a week, or two if you can.

Mistake 2: I Thought Writing Alone Was Enough

Writing more won’t automatically make you a better writer.

Most writers rarely invest time in improving their writing. I didn’t either until I realized this:

Successful creators on Substack are great writers. If you want to become successful, you also need to improve your writing.

Practicing alone isn’t enough.

Lesson: Sharpen the saw.

Mistake 3: I Wasted My First Impression

I wasted every new subscriber I worked so hard to earn.

The best way to make a strong first impression is with a welcome email. Almost every successful creator does this.

I failed to do it because I realized its importance too late. I’m working on it now.

Lesson: Create a welcome email to build a better relationship with your subscribers.

Mistake 4: I Ignored the First Thing People See

A great article can fail before anyone reads the first word.

Your article thumbnail plays a huge role in its growth because it’s the first thing people see. A good thumbnail makes people stop scrolling and become curious enough to click.

Mine still need a lot of improvement, but that’s something I’m actively working on.

Lesson: Don’t ignore your thumbnails.

Mistake 5: I Treated Substack Like a One-Way Street

In the beginning, I thought all I had to do was publish, and the algorithm would help me grow.

I was wrong.

People will help you grow more than the algorithm ever will. Read other people’s articles, leave thoughtful comments, engage with Notes, and build genuine relationships.

Lesson: In the early days, people matter more than the algorithm.

Don’t vomit words, compose them like music.

Most people write just for the sake of writing, like filling that blank page. That’s why their writing feels boring to read. In this article, I will give you two frameworks that help you write in a way readers can’t stop reading. This method is used by top writers frequently.

1. The Small Onion

This framework is like an onion.

How an onion reveals one layer at a time, in this framework you also reveal one point at a time. By using this method, you will go from top to bottom like a slide.

The Recipe:

The first sentence grabs the reader’s attention. The second sentence explains what you mean. The third sentence supports your point with proof, an example, or a story.
The fourth sentence reveals the deeper insight behind your idea. The fifth sentence leaves the reader with a clear takeaway.

This method is originally designed by Nicholas Cole. I wrote it in my version that I understood and use. Small Onion is best for writing intros.

The Small Onion works better because you are taking one line to the next level, not just repeating the same words.

Grab the attention – Explain – Explain more – Insight – Takeaway. Not just for intros, but you can use this framework for your whole article also. Each sentence should reveal a new layer of the idea, not repeat the previous one.

Every sentence should give the reader a reason to read the next one.

2. The Deep Onion

Not every idea can be explained in five sentences.

Some ideas need more explanation. The deeper your explanation, the more likely readers are going to trust it.

The Recipe:

The first sentence grabs the reader’s attention. The second sentence explains what you mean. The third sentence supports your point with proof, an example, or a story.
The fourth sentence adds more context or expands on the proof. The fifth sentence explains why your point matters. The sixth sentence reinforces the main idea and prepares the reader for the conclusion. The seventh sentence delivers a strong conclusion.

Every layer should add value because readers stay engaged when each sentence teaches them something new.

Grab the attention – Explain – Proof – More context – Why it matters – Drive home – Conclusion. Your fourth and fifth sentences are where most of the value is created. Don’t rush through them.

Use this while explaining your main points. The middle sentences should answer the questions that the reader is silently asking after reading the opening sentence. Each sentence should add a new layer.

Expand one idea deeply instead of introducing many ideas at once.

That’s it.

I suggest picking one and practicing it before moving to the next one.

Finding article ideas is the biggest problem new writers face. I write 3+ articles every week. I have studied dozens of articles on this topic, and in this article, I’ll share what works best for me as a beginner writer.

1. Look at Other People’s Articles

This is one of the fastest ways to find article ideas.

Successful writers have already published multiple articles. Your job is to read their articles, pick an idea you love, and write about it with your own insights.

2. My Secret to Finding Multiple Ideas from One Topic

Successful content creators don’t find more topics. They find multiple angles for the same topic.

Most people think they can write about a topic only once. After that, they never think about it again. But you can write multiple articles on the same topic from different angles.

For example, imagine you want to write about writing.

You could write:

• Writing lessons

• Writing mistakes

• A how-to guide

Or you can write about the same topic for different audiences:

• Writers with fewer than 100 subscribers

• Writers with 10K+ subscribers

• Busy people who want to write consistently

In short, you can write multiple times about the same topic.

3. Share What You Are Learning

Sharing what you’re learning is also a great article idea.

Right now, I’m focused on becoming a better writer, so most of my article ideas are about writing.

Start sharing what you’re learning.

That’s it.

21st March, 2026 was the day I started my Substack journey.

From that day until now, I’ve spent 100+ days and nights on Substack. During that journey, I learned some lessons the hard way by trying, failing, and learning.

In this article, I’ll share 5 lessons that every new creator should know to grow on Substack.

Lesson #1: Most people overestimate what they can do in a week and underestimate what consistency can do in a year

The writers who keep publishing are the writers who keep growing on Substack.

If you’re thinking you’ll hit 1k or 100k subscribers within 90 days, you’re probably wrong. I personally believed that too. Then I started reading articles from successful creators and realized that the initial phase (the first six months) is going to be hard as hell. During those months, you’ll learn more than you’ll grow. Most of today’s top creators have spent at least 3+ years doing this.

So think of Substack as a 2-3 year game, not a 2-3 month game.

Lesson #2: The creators who grow the fastest spend as much time engaging as they do publishing

How do you get views when you have no subscribers?

You’re new to the algorithm. You don’t have followers or subscribers to read your work. In this situation, the best thing you can do is engage. Read other people’s Notes and articles. Like them if you genuinely enjoy them, and leave thoughtful comments. By doing this, people become curious about you and often check out your profile. If they find your work interesting, some of them will follow or subscribe.

Start engaging with other creators.

Lesson #3: Notes are still the best way to get discovered by new readers

If you’re a new creator, Notes are still the easiest way to get discovered on Substack.

When nobody knows who you are, publishing articles alone usually isn’t enough because very few people will see them. After spending 100+ days on Substack, I’ve noticed that more new people discovered my profile through Notes than through my articles. That’s because Notes are shown to people who don’t already follow you, giving your writing more chances to reach new readers.

So if your goal is to grow, don’t just publish articles. Make Notes a regular part of your strategy.

Lesson #4: Your growth will never outpace the quality of your writing

Consistency is overrated without quality.

Yes, I said earlier that consistency is important, and I still stand by that. But consistency without improvement isn’t enough. In the beginning, you may get people’s attention. But the thing that makes them come back is the quality of your writing. Mine is still not where I want it to be, but I’m working on it every day.

Spend time daily learning and practicing writing.

Lesson #5: The writers who succeed are the ones who stay long enough to see the results

The writer who waits usually wins.

As I said earlier, it can take 2-3 years before you start seeing meaningful results. Most people are going to quit before that. If you can survive those early years, you’ll already be ahead of most creators.

That’s it!