5 Examples That Show How to Write Headlines Readers Can't Ignore

08 Jun 2025 #misc

What started as mindless scrolling on Medium yesterday turned into a writing exercise.

I decided to stop scrolling like a zombie and pay attention to the headlines I found. Then to practice my headline-writing muscles, I took a closer look at some posts, rewriting their headlines for clarity and curiosity. I wanted to follow a top Medium writer’s formula for engaging headlines.

Here are 5 headlines I found and my own version of them:

1. “Rethinking the Value of Doing Nothing”

This was a short story about a random walk in the park. An old man sitting on the grass made the author reflect on rest and productivity.

My version: “An Old Man Sitting in the Park Changed My Mind About Productivity”

2. “My Experience With ChatGPT”

My first thought when I found this headline was: why should I care? Who are you? What did you use ChatGPT for? This post was from a writer who tried ChatGPT to speed up her writing process.

My version: “I Hired ChatGPT as My Writing Intern—Here’s What I Learned”

3. “7 Things That Show You’re Making Progress”

Making progress in what? A video game? Business? This was a post about small signs of progress when nothing else seems to be working.

My version: “7 True Signs You’re Making Progress in Life (Even When Nothing Seems to Work)”

4. “The Beautiful Habit I’ve Picked Up Lately”

This headline needs more specificity. A habit for what? Health? Business? A habit to achieve what? What makes it beautiful? This was a post about starting meaningful conversations.

My version: “This Simple Habit Has Taught Me More About Human Connection (Than Any Self-Help Book)”

5. “7 Obvious Signs Top Email Scammers Use to Contact You”

This was a post dissecting an email with the classic fake job listing scam. Its headline could benefit from more drama.

My version: “Ignore These 7 Signs and Fall Prey to Email Scammers Offering You Fake Jobs”

Clear headlines are better than clever ones. “On writing” or “On the value of consistency” doesn’t say anything about what we’ll find inside. I declare myself guilty, too. A headline isn’t just a title, it’s a promise. Make it crystal clear because a vague headlines means no readers.