Do you hate writing? Me too.
I am not talking about tweets or IG posts. I’m talking about 500 word long articles and essays. Most of us don’t like writing them. They take too much time and effort.
But is time really the problem? I don’t think so. We spend a lot of time on social media everyday right? Yeah time is not the problem.
So is effort the problem? Hmm let’s see. What happens when you open a blank page to write? Does anxiety kicks in? For me it does.
See, when I plan to write an article, usually I have a general idea about the topic I plan to write about. Though as soon as I open a blank page, my ideas start ruffling among each other making a mess. I don’t have clarity anymore. Everything starts falling apart, anxiety kicks in and …. I close the tab. Phew too much trouble for a few likes.
But after a few days / weeks those ideas start dying. The worst part is I see them dying without seeing the light of the day. That sucks.
And that’s why I try to write, and you should too.
Writing about a topic gives me a platform to just lay my ideas wide in the open. It’s like clearing my mental hard drive. It feels relaxing.
But If I just pour my random thoughts on a piece of paper that’s just writing, not good writing. I don’t want people to see a mishmash of ill shaped ideas, I want them to see a well ordered architecture where every part fits in. It’s not just for the sake of readers though, It’s for the ideas themselves.
Often about a topic, I have a range of musings. They’re like vectors, each with their own direction and magnitude. They make sense individually but to understand about the topic as a whole, all of them need to come in sync. Their rhythm has to match. That’s what good writing does.
Good writing is just clear thinking expressed on paper.
Writing about a topic makes me think about it from all the directions and perspectives.
What do I know about this topic?
Do I know enough?
If everything I know, correct?
How can I fill my gaps?
Jotting down everything I know helps me answer many of these questions. The ones still unanswered force me to research more. It’s a cycle.
Each draft of writing takes me one step closer to the complete and clear picture. The ultimate truth starts showing itself in the end. It’s a bliss moment.
The learning readers get is always a pleasant byproduct.
As one of my favorite writer @Julian says,
The best writing is therapy that you publish for the world to learn from.
After self-learning and expression, what is the next best thing writing offers?
Relationships.
Writing online helps you create meaningful relationships, sometimes even indirectly. When people read well written articles, they can’t stop but appreciate the coherent thinking of the writer. These artifacts demonstrate author’s expertise in the given topic and hence increase their visibility.
Internet is a great place, good content can reach thousands of people with zero marketing.
“By making it easy for people to find you online, you’ll create a vehicle for serendipity.” – @david_perell
This visibility can get you job offers, network of influential people, money and many other things.
I can go on and on about the benefits of putting yourself out there but it’s a moo point. You have to experience the magic yourself. When a stranger thanks you for a piece of advice or a someone asks if they can use your work, it feels great.
Not trying to brag here but even as a crappy writer myself, I have experienced the joy of someone reaching out to me to thank me for my work. You should too!
Go ahead and write about something. Anything.
It can be about an experience, topic, musing … just anything. Put yourself out there and you will get better with time. If you’re looking for some resources to write better, try these:
https://youtu.be/grXrGaT7DLw
http://www.paulgraham.com/writing44.html
https://blogs.amazon.com/the_fractionating_column/
To sum up, writing offers you a landscape to let your thoughts crash with each each other at full speed until they form a elegant symphony together.
This symphony creates a lasting impression on the audience and opens a gateway to serendipitous interactions.
I hope now you know why I wrote this article.
Aditya Rohilla 