Remove the Stick From Your Ass When You Write
Your writing will drastically improve.
When you strip emotions and personality from a blog post, what do you have?
At best, you’re left with an essay. At worst? A dull textbook or instruction manual. It’s no longer a leisurely read — it’s mentally taxing to consume.
Recently, I was writing about checking accounts — a not so thrilling topic. It’s the financial equivalent of watching paint dry. But checking accounts are integral to personal finance, so I figured the topic still offered value. About halfway through my post, I realized it lacked personality. It sounded like I was explaining something to a manager or a board of executives. As if I had to maintain an air of professionalism.
My writing was rigid and uptight, limiting my post’s readability.
When I write about financial topics, my perfectionist tendencies come out. My excessively analytical internal editor thrusts himself into the process. He blows the whistle on grammar mistakes and run-on sentences. He yanks the output lever and halts production to find the best — no, the quintessential — word. Misspellings or typos? Don’t even dare.
There’s an appropriate time for my internal editor’s services: after the writing stage — not during. He’s a buzzkill, so he…
