a quick reflection on the writing process

It’s been about two weeks since I started writing on this site and I have published 5 posts so far. I’ve had a few thoughts come to mind about this process that I’d like to note down.

Firstly, I have been having a persistent inclination towards sharing my posts with some people I know. Usually during a conversation topics will come up that I have written about in more detail, and I wish to share them at the risk of going off on a long monologue in a conversation instead.

I would also love for people, who think differently from me, to consider my ideas and offer their own thoughts and perspectives so I can refine my own. However, I am deciding against it in favor of keeping my word about not deliberately sharing the posts before I write at least 30. I’d like to see what results come around in terms of my thinking and approach to writing if I run this little experiment.

Secondly, I realized that sometimes when I write the idea down on paper (screen) it seems so much smaller, so much more “insignificant”, so much more like common-sense-things-that-everyone-should-know-already-so-there-is-no-need-to-write-about-them-anyway, and so much more bare and less grand, wonderful, and complex like they seem(ed) in my head.

I have two responses to this:

a) I’ve got to write for at least my own benefit. It’s kind of fun too. However, sometimes the idea is common but the way someone words it matters and it clicks for you only then.

I came across an idea someone shared and the gist is that ideas and concepts that we share to make our lives easier or more fulfilling are usually the same or universal. It’s the messenger that matters. I have found that to be true in my own experience as well. Same concept. But it clicks better if a person presents it in a way that’s compatible with your own way of understanding things.

b) Writing out my ideas is helping me realize how little I know. I think it will be key in creating the desire in me to push myself to learn different things faster. If I don’t have something to think about and reflect on it, I guess there is really nothing much for me to write about. I suppose that learning part includes figuring out how to be a better wordsmith too.

Thirdly, not holding myself to a proper schedule where I. MUST. WRITE! is actually helping me write more, since I’m writing not “because I’m supposed to”, or because “it’s good for me”, but whenever inspiration for a new post strikes and I just want to. It’s much more enjoyable this way too. Setting a goal to write 30 posts before sharing with others is motivating me to reach that goal post faster too- out of my own will.

Fourthly, sometimes I think about how imperfect some of my phrasing is, or the awkward writing structure, and looong sentences etc etc. But then I override it in favor of just writing, and getting an idea out. I guess I’ll try worrying about deliberately polishing my posts and writing skill more once I’ve written about a 100 “garbage-quality” posts (lol).

It’s nice to give yourself deliberate permission to suck at something. In fact, if feels kind of funny to me how I’m purposefully doing it for a while instead of frantically trying to troubleshoot all the imperfections coming up during my writing process.

I guess that helps me come back to writing again and again too. No need for unnecessary pressure to block your flow completely. Just hope the ability for polishing my work doesn’t die out completely- you know, from lack of practice.

Alright, that’s all for now.