A 6-Step System to Remove Frustration and Unlock Peak Writing Creativity.
You sit down to write.
Ten minutes pass.
You get a text, email or social media notification.
Your mind jumps at the opportunity to distract itself from the intimidating task ahead.
Temptation wins.
"I'll just take a quick break to get the creative juices flowing."
After 35 minutes of accidental procrastination, you try again.
But...nothing.
Your mind remains blank.
The scoreboard?
Writer’s block:1
Reader:0
We've all been there.
I certainly have.
That blank page?
It mocks you.
The ideas you had? Gone.
Now, writing feels like a chore instead of a creative outlet.
Keep ignoring it, and writing becomes dreaded.
Projects stall
Self-doubt creeps in
Unfinished drafts collect dust
You feel stuck.
Where Most Founders Fail
Most founders think they can just "power through" it.
They try forcing words out or binge motivational podcasts.
Others procrastinate, hoping inspiration will strike.
But without structure, your brain freezes.
You need a plan.
A simple system to spark creativity and flow.
This Could Be You
Imagine sitting down with a clear path forward.
No hesitation, no frustration.
Just steady, creative, productive writing.
That’s what prepping the page can do.
It gives you direction before you start.
It breaks the blank page into bite-sized chunks, removes the fear, and sets the stage for deep creativity.
It looks like this:
You sit down, knowing exactly what to write.
You feel more creative than ever before.
Words flow effortlessly.
Momentum builds.
Writing becomes a habit you love, not dread.
Your Page Prep Playbook
Writer's block is your ex, and you need to let go.
1) Create an Irresistible Headline
Your first job? Write a headline that defines your topic, gives your writing direction, and makes a promise to the reader.
This will be your North Star.
It will guide your content, keep you focused and stop you wandering off into unrelated tangents.
Action Steps:
1) Get Clear on Your Promise
What tangible thing are you giving the reader?
What promise are you making them?
Example:
Can you figure out the promise I made in this post?
If you said, "To teach the reader how to write a newsletter in under 4 hours", you're correct.
2) Write Your Irresistible Headline
Now that you're clear on your promise, you can use a proven viral hook format to write an irresistible headline.
Use Twemex (Tweethunter) to find the best performing posts on Twitter (X) of your favourite founders/creators, or use Kleo to find their top-performing LinkedIn posts.
Once you've gathered some viral hook examples, you can recreate them and make them unique to you by plugging your own ideas into them.
Viral hook example:
Here's how I could recreate this viral hook:
I bet my life savings David Ogilvy is the greatest copywriter of the last 100 years. Not because he had clients like Rolls Royce, or helped generate $864M in revenue.
But because he found a genius framework for writing irresistible ads:
Whether you're writing a Twitter thread, LinkedIn post, or newsletter, it doesn't matter.
You can always find a viral template to steal and make your own.
2) Outline Your Main Points
You need clarity on what you’re writing.
Outlining your main points will create a scaffolding for your content.
What are the main points of your post, newsletter, or article?
Are they tips, lessons, common mistakes, or steps in a framework?
Action Steps:
1) Ask yourself, “What am I sharing?”
Are you sharing:
Tips?
Lessons?
Reasons?
Mistakes?
Or…
A story?
A system?
A checklist?
A framework?
Get clear on what you’re sharing and the problem you aim to solve with it.
2) List your main points
Whether you're sharing tips, lessons, mistakes, or a framework, list every point out.
Then, arrange them in a logical order.
Example:
The newsletter you're reading shares a 6-step framework (the steps are my main points), and the problem I aim to solve with this framework is writer's block.
It's dead simple.
3) Outline Your Subheadings
Next, split your content into sections.
Simple example:
Introduction
Main Points
Conclusion
Why do it like this?
Because blank pages are intimidating, even for the world’s best writers.
Segmenting it makes the task feel smaller.
It gives you a clear path to success and the activation energy to attack it head-on.
Action Step:
Create temporary sub-headers for each section
Suddenly, you’re not writing one big scary piece.
You’re writing in tiny chunks.
Example:
If you were writing a post titled "5 Tips Every Entrepreneur Needs to Know for Better Sleep," you might use the following temporary subheadings:
Introduction
Tip 1
Tip 2
Tip 3
Tip 4
Tip 5
Conclusion
These temporary subheadings act as a scaffolding for your content.
To hit this home, I'll use myself as a case study.
Here are the temporary subheadings I used to write the newsletter you're reading now:
My Newsletter Scaffolding
4) Develop Your Main Points
Your main points are the backbone of your content, the sections where readers find the most value.
When readers come to your content, they want solutions, insights, or clarity.
Your main points are what they’ll remember, apply, and share.
The “meat” of your content.
With well-developed main points, you’ll naturally lead your audience without confusion or frustration.
Your content will flow smoothly and deliver on its promise.
Action Step:
Use my What/Why/How/Example framework to develop your main points
What: What is the tip, step, or lesson?
Why: Why should readers care about it?
How: How can readers take action/implement it?
Example: Use examples, visuals, or demonstrations to hit the point home
I'm using the What/Why/How/Example framework in the exact step you're reading right now:
If in doubt, ask yourself:
"Am I telling the reader what the point is, why it matters, how to implement it, and showing an example of it?"
It's simple.
You've got this.
5) Write a Tactical Introduction
You need an introduction that makes people hungry for your main points.
Your main points could be world-class.
But if your introduction sucks, readers won’t stick around long enough to see them.
You need to lead them there.
Action Steps:
1) Highlight the problem you’ll solve
Readers don’t care what you have to say until you give them a reason to.
Highlight the problem they have right now.
This will capture their attention.
Example:
"Your posts keep flopping, and it's killing your confidence online."
2) Explain why it’s happening
When you teach your readers the “why” behind their problem, they’ll instantly see you as a trusted guide.
Explain what’s causing their problem.
Example:
"You're stuck on a content hamster wheel, guessing what works, and creating without a compass."
3) Twist the Knife
Make the problem sting.
You need your readers to feel it.
The founder who describes their customers’ pain best, wins. Period.
Get inside your readers’ minds.
Show empathy and describe their pain in ways only they could understand.
Example:
"You'll keep wasting hours, creating content nobody sees, while your competitors take your audience."
4) Raise the Stakes
What happens if they do nothing?
If you show people “here’s what will happen if you don’t solve the problem…”, you'll create urgency.
Describe the inevitable consequences of their inaction, and watch how fast your readers take action.
Example:
"The longer you wait, the harder it'll be to build trust, grow your audience & monetize."
5) Tease Your Solution
After you’ve made them care about their problem, it’s time to tease your solution.
Show them what it is, why it works, and what their life will be like once they’ve used it.
Example:
"You need a content flywheel that helps you write consistently and attracts your ideal audience on autopilot.
This content system will give you structure, keep you growing & remove all of the guesswork. By next week, you'll have a library of content ready to go & a system to keep them coming.
You'll go from 'ignored creator' to 'trusted authority', so you can turn followers into a loyal, engaged audience."
If you nail these 5 steps, your readers will be hooked. Eager as hell to consume your main points.
Then, when they do consume your main points, they’ll be one step closer to being a client or customer.
6) Clarify with a Conclusion
Write a short, to-the-point conclusion (or skip it entirely).
Overthinking conclusions can lead to writer’s block. A strong final point is often all you need to leave a lasting impression.
Action Steps:
1) Decide if you need a conclusion or not
If your last main point is solid, let it double-up as your conclusion.
You know what they say, "If it's not broken, don't fix it."
2) If you do need a conclusion...
Summarize your takeaway in 1-3 sentences.
But don't use your conclusion to say the same thing twice. Say something different to what’s been said already.
No conclusion is better than a repetitive one.
Keep it simple, snappy, and succinct.
Less is more.
Tips to Help You Execute
You have my framework, but here are some outside-the-box tips to help execute it.
Bonus #1: Write in Isolation
Attack and complete one section at a time before moving to the next.
Don't try to do everything at once.
Multitasking is the thief of deep creativity.
Example:
I always write my headline first, then move on to my main points, then my introduction, and so on.
Doing it like this allows me to give 100% uninterrupted focus to each section.
Uninterrupted focus = high-quality content.
Bonus #2: Enhance your Subheadings
Earlier, I told you to use temporary subheadings.
Now, it's time to make them more attractive.
Do this:
When you’ve developed your introduction, main points, and conclusion, make your subheadings more specific, relevant, and attractive.
The goal of each subtitle?
To help the reader slide down the page.
How?
Make it scannable
Spark curiosity
Using our example from earlier, "5 Tips Every Entrepreneur Needs to Know for Better Sleep," you could enhance your subheadings like this:
Introduction becomes “Let’s talk about the problem”
Tip 1 becomes “#1 - Bluelight Blockers”
Tip 2 becomes “#2 - No Caffeine After Midday”
Tip 3 becomes “#3 - No Food After 8 pm”
Tip 4 becomes “#4 - The Power of Magnesium”
Tip 5 becomes “#5 - 10K Steps Daily”
Conclusion becomes “Final Thoughts”
See what I mean?
This leads us nicely onto #3.
Bonus #3 Create Skimmable Content
Make your content easy to skim with attractive subheadings, bullet points, and short paragraphs.
People don’t read.
They skim.
Do this:
Use curiosity in your subheadings
Break up bulky paragraphs
Leverage bullet lists
Notice how I use subheadings and bullet lists throughout this newsletter for easy navigation?
I also avoid bulky, unattractive paragraphs because I don't want to lose your attention.
Bonus #4: Iterate Over Time
Start with the fundamentals, get the reps in, and have fun.
Then, when you find your rhythm, you can experiment and improve your content templates.
Review your past content for high-performers
Experiment with different formats to see what works
Example:
If stories don't perform well for you, but listicles do...
Write fewer stories and more listicles.
Do more of what works and less of what doesn't.
Simple.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you're doubting the importance of prepping your page, you're not alone.
“Will this actually work for me?”
Yes. Prepping the page helps you overcome the hardest obstacle of writing: starting.
It clears the brain fog and helps you get traction fast.
“I’ve tried similar methods, and they didn’t work.”
This system is different.
It’s about breaking the process into micro-steps.
The Page Prep Playbookremoves complexity and makes every step feel light.
“I don’t have time to prep.”
Prepping your page takes less than 10 minutes but saves you hours.
A tiny investment that'll save you bucketloads of frustrating rewrites.
“I’m worried I’ll still get stuck.”
With a roadmap laid out, your brain knows exactly where to go next.
No more staring at the page for answers.
Just you, in your flow state.
That's it for today's Writing Protocol
If you enjoyed this one, you'll love my upcoming course.
The Thought Leader Funnel ($36)
It contains the same frameworks I use for myself & my clients (LinkedIn & Threads founders).
The course is split into 3 phases:
As you may know, the Thought Leader Funnel was supposed to launch on February 14th.
Unfortunately, due to an unexpected illness, I had to delay the launch.
New Launch Date: Monday 24th February (only 10 days away).
