Write the line you want repeated. Then earn it.
Pass 1: find the core. Cross out every sentence but one.
The survivor is your message. Build around it.
Pass 2: swap the fog. Trade each abstract word for a scene.
“Soon” becomes “by Friday.” “Help” becomes who does what.
Pass 3: open one gap. Start where the reader leans in.
A question, a surprise, a number that begs a second look.
Pass 4: test it cold. Show it to someone who owes you nothing.
Ask what they kept. That answer is the grade.
This pair is written for this page. It is not a panel run.
Last year, one desk gave a bike to a kid who had never owned one. This year's drive starts Monday. One desk, one kid — sign up by Friday.
A reminder became a scene, a deadline, and one small act.
“Participate” is forgettable. A kid's first bike is not.
They follow the SUCCESs checklist from Made to Stick.
By Chip Heath and Dan Heath.
This site is independent. The authors did not endorse it.
See all six checks on what makes an idea stick.