Write like Taylor Swift

Love her or hate her, Taylor Swift is a great writer. There is no question about that. Her ability to weave complicated narratives into catchy pop tunes has sparked discussions in both music and literary circles.

Swift was born in 1989 in Pennsylvania and has evolved from a country music star to a global pop sensation. According to Bloomberg, as of April 2024, Swift’s net worth is estimated to be a staggering $1.1 billion.

I’m not a big fan of her songs; the music is just too poppy for my taste, but the lyrics, oh, the lyrics, are so good.

For example, check out these two lines from her new song, I can do it with a broken heart, from her album The Tortured Poets Department. (How cool is this album title?)

“I cry a lot but I am so productive, it’s an art
You know you’re good when you can even do it
With a broken heart”

I wonder whether productivity expert Ali Abdaal agrees that you can still be productive with a broken heart.

In the video below, Writing expert David Perell analyzed Taylor Swift’s writing and realized that she follows the classic three-act structure driven by five specific plot points, which is the secret ingredient to the song that made Taylor famous, You belong with me” song that to this day, is one of the most successful pop songs of all time.