The 3-3-3 Framework (how to teach yourself anything)
15 months ago, I couldn’t finish a story.
I’d start writing on a premise I thought had potential, but it wouldn’t go anywhere.
I had no clue what I was doing.
I’d never taken a writing class before, so I didn’t even know the fundamentals.
How to write dialogue…
How to structure a story…
How to craft a good beginning or end…
Now, after going through the process of teaching myself how to write and self–publishing my first book, I’m going to share with you the exact step-by-step system I used to get there.
(BTW, this applies to more than just writing. This is how I taught myself music production, audio engineering, photography, and videography too).
I call it the 3-3-3 framework, and not complicated, but it’s not easy.
Let’s get into it.
#1 - Find 3 pieces that you absolutely love.
To know what we need to learn, we need to know what we want to achieve.
In order to do that, choose 3 pieces you wish you wrote.
These don’t have to be classics or award winning prose.
What do YOU like?
If you’re struggling to choose, here are some questions to ask yourself:
What was the last piece that made me laugh/cry?
What was the last book I couldn’t wait to get back to?
What style of writing do I find myself constantly returning to read?
You can choose one piece from three different authors or three from one.
Up to you.
#2 - Analyze 3 things you like in each piece.
Pick 3 things from each piece you wish you could do and spend time looking at how they did it.
What do you want to emulate?
Is it:
How they write beats in dialogue?
How they structure the story?
How they write characters?
When I want to learn a new art form, I find work that most resonates with me and dissect it.
And I don’t mean jotting down a few notes.
I’m talking scalpel and scrubs.
Humpty dumpty sh*t.
COMPLETELY taking it apart and putting it back together again.
Studying where they put commas, how they’re adding beats to the dialogue, what details they use to describe characters, how they structure their piece, etc.
Whatever it is that speaks to you.
By the end you should have 9 total goals.
If some goals overlap (for instance you chose dialogue twice from two different authors) that’s fine.
9 isn’t a hard and fast rule.
The point is that you now have a clearer idea what it is you want to work on and how to do it.
Once you’ve got your 9-ish goals move on to the next step.
#3 - Re-create 3 specific parts in your own work.
There’s a saying, “The man who chases two rabbits catches neither.”
Well…
What if the man chased three rabbits? 🤔
Joking.
What I’m getting at here is that we’re going to implement all goals from the three pieces eventually.
But we can’t tackle everything at once.
Now that you have 9-ish goals from the pieces you want to emulate, we’re going to zoom in and get granular with one at a time.
So, look at your list and choose one specific thing you want to work on.
Next, find an instance of where they did that one thing well and copy and paste it into your own doc.
For example, I learned dialogue from two writers who’s scenes I loved reading:
David Sedaris and Raymond Chandler.
I’ll find one scene in their story I particularly enjoy (2-3 paragraphs tops).
I’ll then copy and paste that scene from the original (the author I’m learning from) into my own document.
Once their paragraph is in my document, I’ll write my own version underneath it, constantly referring back to theirs as a guide.
If you’re working on:
Intros/Outros - Copy theirs and try to make one just like it.
Structure - Write a story with one identical to theirs.
Dialogue - Write a similar scene.
Steal like an artist, one piece at a time.
Once you’ve knocked off one goal, move on to the next one.
Wash. Rinse. Repeat.
Eventually it will feel second nature, and you won’t need to follow their work so closely anymore.
But in the beginning, I find this a great way to learn exactly what it is you want.
And to be honest, I still use this tactic all the time.
The method works because the goals are set specifically by you.
Which means, hopefully, you’re motivated to follow through on it and actually do the work.
There’s also something I find inspiring about having their text in my document in my own font.
It makes it seem more tenable in a way.
Like achieving the desired outcome is closer when their words are suddenly on my page.
Everyone learns differently, but this method of breaking down, analyzing, and emulating has never let me down, and I’ve used it across art forms.
I hope it can serve you too.
No fancy software or expensive classes needed.
Everything you want to learn is already waiting for you on the page.
The question is, are you going to put in the work to do it?
Give this a shot, and let me know how it goes 💪
Whenever you're ready, there are 3 ways I can help you:
1. Creative Contact Free Newsletter: Practical tips each week guiding you from your first sentence to a finished manuscript.
2. The StorySpark Online Workshop: This quick and simple course will teach you the exact system I used to write for 450 days straight.
3. 1-on-1 Coaching: If you need a little extra accountability and guidance to bring your book to life. Let’s talk.