I have always found a certain pleasure in writing. I have little experience in writing long form, but I've always had a certain knack for creating technical writing. However, technical writing does not translate very well to the web. Most people don't want to read manuals first thing in the morning —although personally, I can't think of a better way to start the day.
Still, I'm pretty sure all writers faces difficulty writing at some point. Even if it is just a stream of consciousness, it’s still a stream of consciousness that you have to capture and untangle for other people to understand.
Writing can be a lot of fun. There is a certain satisfaction to be had when stringing words together to tell a story or share an idea. Sure, it takes an effort to come up with content, And it takes a lot of time to write the content. But in a way, it's like giving birth to a new being.
Who knew giving birth could be so much fun? -Nobody Ever
So where does my hesitation come from?
For me, I think it’s Medium. There are A LOT of talented writers on Medium, who have been writing for years, who regularly bang out very insightful, well-thought content. Sure, there’s some junk in there too — But I’ve seen way more quality than junk.
So how do you compete with people like that? Well, you can’t. They’ve been at this for years. They’re really good and it’ll be a while before you have any chance of being that good too. That’s just how it goes.
But you can bring something to the table that no other writer can: you. And you have a distinct personality and set of experiences that potentially will resonate with an audience. All writers need to write to get there to find an audience, to find their voice. It takes time to produce quality pieces, and a constant struggle with the creative muses to get everyone on the same page.
Surprisingly, I’ve had people tell me they wished I wrote more. People who I didn’t even know knew I wrote in the first place!
For me, I want to write every day. Probably not publish something every day, but at least have something in the works. A little project. A message to be packaged and sent off to the internet for consumption.
But Let’s Talk About You.
you want to write, but aren’t doing it. Maybe you don’t have any ideas? maybe you think nobody will listen? Maybe these things are true. However, there is no magic to it. Stephen King writes every day, despite his feelings for that particular day.
Amateurs sit and wait for inspiration, the rest of us just get up and go to work.
-Stephen King
If you’re not sure what to write, consider reading. As I mentioned previously, there is a lot of great content by great writers to be found on medium. Find a few articles you like and take notes about what the authors do.
Some questions you could keep in mind while reading works by other authors:
- What topics do they write about?
- How often do they write?
- How much of the content is original?
- How do they pace themselves in their writing?
- What would you add to it?
- What makes you want to read more?
- Are they personal or factual in their writing?
That’s what I can bring to the table.
What Others Can Bring To The Table
Consider the following additional resources if you’re looking for additional inspiration in putting more words down.
10 Tips For Writing (Writers Digest)
Why Stephen King Spends ‘Months and Even Years’ Writing Opening Sentences (The Atlantic)
Essay Tips: 7 Tips on Writing an Effective Essay (Fast Web)
HOW TO BE A WRITER: 10 TIPS FROM
REBECCA SOLNIT (lithub) (A Must Read!)
How to Write Better: 7 Instant Fixes (Write to Done)
If you’re having trouble staying motivated to write, maybe will & did can help
