Whether you love her or hate her, Taylor Swift has undeniably changed the music industry forever. Her Eras Tour is the highest-grossing music tour ever, and she made history at the 2024 Grammy Awards as the first artist to win Album of the Year four times.
So, to celebrate the Eras Tour moving to its European leg, let’s discuss five writing lessons you can learn courtesy of Taylor Swift.
1. Draw from your own experience
Half of the fun of listening to any Taylor Swift album is analysing the lyrics to discover which of her ex-boyfriends she’s singing about.
While you might not be planning to write a 10-minute song about Jake Gyllenhaal stealing your scarf or release a double album about a fling with Matty Healy, her songs can teach you how important it is to draw from your own life experience.
When writing anything, your goal is to convey information or emotion as directly as possible to your reader. It’s a kind of telekinesis. So, choosing to write about topics you’re fascinated by and are knowledgeable about tends to be more interesting, because the reader picks up on your enthusiasm.
2. Know your audience
Knowing your audience is one of the most important things to keep in the back of your mind when you write.
Taylor Swift doesn’t just know how her fanbase operates – she’s trained them to behave in a way which benefits her. From buying several versions of the same album to encouraging her fans to rewatch her music videos to ensure they’ve found every Easter egg, each decision she makes is based on how she knows her audience will react.
When writing an article, put yourself in your reader’s shoes. What information would be the most interesting or useful to them?
Ensuring that what you’re writing is engaging to your reader – and remembering that they may not think or act like you do – is one of the key ways to keep people reading.
3. Always tell the truth
On the other hand, it’s important that you remember to tell the truth through your writing and are careful not to cater too heavily to what you think your audience wants to hear.
Having thousands of people screaming and cheering every night on a global tour would be enough to make anyone’s ego inflate – especially when they’re paying to be there. But Taylor Swift has always focused on the story she wants to tell, rather than how her fans and critics may respond to it.
Zooming in on the small details – for example, the scarf in ‘All Too Well’ or ‘The Black Dog’ pub in London – and speaking about the emotions she felt during tumultuous periods in her life with an openness and rawness is one of the things that keep people listening to Taylor Swift on a loop.
When writing nonfiction articles, it’s obviously important to make sure you have your facts right and up to date. However, it’s also important to speak plainly and clearly so your reader understands exactly what you’re trying to convey.
4. Use strong visuals
Each of Taylor Swift’s albums have a distinct feel to them which is clearly reflected in the branding.
From the cheery pinks and yellows of Lover to the black and white of The Tortured Poets Department, each of her eras has a unique aesthetic to go alongside their sound.
While your articles don’t require a sparkly outfit (unfortunately), adding a picture which symbolises the emotions behind the article can help to draw a reader’s eye and immediately convey how you will help your reader.
For example, a photo of someone with their head in their hands suggests your article can help the reader with a common frustration, while a photo of a happy family will make them aspire to achieve the same joy as the people in the picture through whatever advice you put forward.
5. Never stop writing
As Swift says in ‘I Can Do It With A Broken Heart’: “I cry a lot but I am so productive!”
One thing she is an expert in is writing prolifically. In an interview with Variety, Swift said, “the more art you create, hopefully the less pressure you put on yourself.”
Everyone faces challenges while writing, whether you’re trying to finish an article or a novel. But with every piece you finish and every problem you learn how to solve, you increase your understanding of the craft and become a better writer.
Sometimes it might feel hard. But you are always strong enough to push through writer’s block – just shake it off!
Get in touch
If you’re a member of the Tortured Poets Department, or all you see when you look at a page is a Blank Space (sorry) then we can help you to create content your readers will love.
To find out more email hi@theyardstickagency.co.uk or call 0115 8965 300.
