Drew Sucks Framework

---
name: drew-sucks-framework
description: "Knowledge base from \"The SUCKS Framework — How to write well for the internet\" by Kieran Drew. Use when applying Drew's copywriting frameworks for online writing, persuasion, content, emails, sales pages — Specific, Useful/Unique/Undeniable, Clear/Curious/Conversational, Kept simple, Structured — studying the book or referencing its concepts."
allowed-tools:
  - Read
  - Grep
argument-hint: [topic, framework name (e.g. SUCKS, Rule of One, proof stack), or chapter number]
---

# The SUCKS Framework — How to Write Well for the Internet
**Author**: Kieran Drew | **Pages**: ~17 | **Chapters**: 9 | **Generated**: 2026-06-08

## How to Use This Skill

- **Without arguments** — load the core SUCKS frameworks below for reference.
- **With a topic** — ask about `curiosity`, `proof stack`, `editing`, `specificity`, etc.; I find and read the relevant chapter.
- **With a chapter** — ask for `ch04`; I load that specific chapter.
- **Browse** — ask "what chapters do you have?" to see the full index.

When you ask about a topic not covered in Core below, I'll read the relevant chapter file before answering.

---

## Core Frameworks & Mental Models

### The SUCKS Framework (the master checklist)
A pre-publish audit. Draft freely, then run any piece through six questions:

- **S — Specific?** Vagueness makes readers uncertain, and uncertain people don't act.
- **U — Unique, Useful, Undeniable?** Solve real pain, be un-copyable, and prove it.
- **C — Clear, Curious, Conversational?** Easy to understand, impossible to stop reading, sounds human.
- **K — Kept simple?** With endless noise, the simplest writer wins.
- **S — Structured?** "You gotta look good to get read."

> It's the **80:20 of copywriting** — "the rest is just reps." The name is sticky on purpose: "the idea was to suck people in." For anything longer than an email, aim to tick every box.

### S — Specificity (Ch 2)
- **Rule of One**: per piece, pick **One True Fan, One problem, One solution, One story**. "Write to everyone = write to no one."
- **Quantify**: specific, non-round numbers create authority and belief. "I help people lose weight" → "56 clients, avg 21lbs, under 4 months."

### U — Useful + Unique (Ch 3)
- Solve real pain AND signal the payoff. Reader is the hero, not you.
- **How To's → How I's**: write from personal perspective; drop daily breadcrumbs so readers relate.
- **Unique Mechanisms**: build named frameworks (like SUCKS) — "take something old, create something new."

### U — Undeniable (Ch 4)
- The real marketing question isn't "What's in it for me?" but **"Why should I believe you?"**
- **Persuasion Proof Stack** (weak→strong): Authority by Association → Your Results → **Customer Results** (strongest). Build a habit to save feedback, testimonials, case studies.

### C — Clear (Ch 5)
- "Your job is not to say smart things. It's to learn smart things and make them easy to understand." Cleverness serves your ego; clarity serves the reader.
- Edit ≠ write — wait **24 hours**. Then line by line: "What do I mean?" → say that instead.

### C — Curious (Ch 6)
- **4 Triggers**: (1) what they want, (2) what they didn't know, (3) open loops, (4) stories.
- Keep a **Surprise Document**. Niche down. "The best storyteller wins."

### C — Conversational (Ch 7)
- Write to **one familiar person** (best friend / Gran). Pre-publish: "Would I say this in person?" — if not, rewrite until it sounds like you.

### K — Kept Simple (Ch 8)
- Small word > big word; one word > two. Simple ≠ shallow (see Feynman, Paul Graham).
- **3 Editing Tips**: (1) Hemingway, never above grade 4; (2) change screen/state between writing & editing; (3) **1/3rd Rule** — delete a third before publishing.

### S — Structured (Ch 9)
- Format for the **skim**: bullets, white space, short paragraphs, headings → a **slippery slope** to the end (where the buying happens).
- **Vary sentence length**; read aloud (or record yourself). "We hear what we read."

---

## Chapter Index

| # | Title | Key Frameworks |
|---|-------|----------------|
| [ch01](chapters/ch01-sucks-overview.md) | The SUCKS Framework — Overview | SUCKS checklist, 80:20 of copywriting |
| [ch02](chapters/ch02-specific.md) | S — Specificity Is the Secret | Rule of One, Quantify |
| [ch03](chapters/ch03-useful-unique.md) | U — Be Useful and Unique | How-To→How-I, Unique Mechanisms |
| [ch04](chapters/ch04-undeniable.md) | U — Be Undeniable | Persuasion Proof Stack |
| [ch05](chapters/ch05-clear.md) | C — Clarity Is King | "What do I mean?" edit, 24h rule |
| [ch06](chapters/ch06-curious.md) | C — Curiosity Is Key | 4 Curiosity Triggers, Surprise Document |
| [ch07](chapters/ch07-conversational.md) | C — Be Conversational | Write to your Gran, "Would I say this?" |
| [ch08](chapters/ch08-kept-simple.md) | K — Keep It Simple (Stupid) | 2 simplicity rules, 3 editing tips, 1/3rd Rule |
| [ch09](chapters/ch09-structured.md) | S — Structure Is Sexy | Skimmability toolkit, slippery slope |

## Topic Index

- **Authority / proof / credibility** → ch04
- **Clarity / being understood** → ch05
- **Conversational tone / voice** → ch07
- **Curiosity / hooks / open loops** → ch06
- **Editing (Hemingway, 1/3rd rule, 24h)** → ch05, ch08
- **Niche down** → ch06
- **Numbers / quantify / specificity** → ch02
- **Personal perspective (How-I)** → ch03
- **Proof Stack / testimonials / case studies** → ch04
- **Rule of One / One True Fan** → ch02
- **Simplicity / cutting / word count** → ch08
- **Storytelling** → ch06
- **Structure / formatting / skimmability** → ch09
- **SUCKS checklist (overview)** → ch01
- **Unique mechanisms / frameworks** → ch03
- **Usefulness / solving pain** → ch03

## Supporting Files

- [glossary.md](glossary.md) — all key terms with definitions
- [patterns.md](patterns.md) — all techniques, ready to apply to a draft
- [cheatsheet.md](cheatsheet.md) — the pre-publish run-through + quick rules

---

## Scope & Limits

This skill covers the e-book content only (a short, high-density copywriting guide). Drew teases deeper material — his "one word" conversational trick, advanced storytelling — in his paid course *High Impact Writing*, which is outside this skill's scope. For hands-on drafting, pair this with the `copywriting`, `copy-editing`, or `write-landing` skills.