Write or Die Magazine (Forever Workshop)

Write or Die Magazine (Forever Workshop)

How to Make Your Writing Sound Like You

Lesson 4 - “A Sharp Pen, a Thin Skin, An Open Heart” Lessons from Taylor Swift's Creative Process (And How to Build Your Own).

Erin's avatar
Erin
Mar 01, 2025
∙ Paid
Art by Mariam Chagelishvili

This is Part 4 of the Creative Process Workshop

(We’ve saved the best for last, holy sh*t this lesson is good.)

In today’s lesson:

  • How to subliminally convey what you stand for, who you really are, and what is important to you (even if your work is entirely fictional)

  • The "one word to question" method for evolving themes

  • How to weave motifs into your work

  • Build a cohesive collection of writing


Hello, everyone, and welcome to our final session! I can’t believe our time together is almost through. However, I saved a big lesson for today, so that we can go out with a bang and hopefully leave you inspired for months to come.

Last lesson we broke down specificity and point of view - today we will talk about theme, repetition/motif, and intertextuality, which ultimately work together to build a body of work. I know you will get a lot out of today, and please do let me know in the comments how you approach theme in your work, and what kind of work you do!

Keep reading with a 7-day free trial

Subscribe to Write or Die Magazine (Forever Workshop) to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.

Already a paid subscriber? Sign in
© 2026 Chill Subs · Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start your SubstackGet the app
Substack is the home for great culture