Use this 5-step writing formula to tell world-class stories
As a normal, ordinary person.
Hey Part-Time Creator,
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Today, we’re breaking down the viral content formula that got this creator 5.4M views in 2 weeks, and for a channel with roughly 100k subs, that’s pretty unheard of.
And then, at the very end of this newsletter, I’ll give you a GPT formula that will rewrite your story with this formula.
Let’s go.
Step 1: Find your starting point
Every great story starts somewhere, the best stories give you everything you need to understand before to maximise the impact of seeing the after.
What does that mean exactly?
It means picture the after — the transformation, the big reveal. Now unpick that moment and write down everything somebody needs to know for that to have maximum impact.
For instance, let’s say you’re doing a fitness challenge (the video we’ll talk about today).
Doesn’t it help to know what you looked like before you started? Yes.
Doesn’t it help to know the times you’ve tried in the past? Yes.
Doesn’t it help to know what got you here? Yes.
All of those things help me understand as a reader or viewer what the beginning looked like so I can understand the change at the end.
In this video, we get:
✅ Before visual: thumbnail
✅ Before mindset: ‘losing weight is easy’
✅ Before stats: pre-diabetic and obese
✅ Before habits: videos bof ad eating
Remember: The bigger the transformation, the better the story.
But people can only understand the transformation if they see the world *before*.
And remember, people want to see themselves in your story. When people watch your journey, they are seeing themselves *through* you. You are just the lens that connects them from their starting point (where they are now) to the end point (what you have achieved and what they want to achieve).
The more they can see you in the *before*, the better. So be honest, be real, and be transparent with exactly how you started.