Archive for the ‘Writing’ Category

You’re Special

13 June 2019

Everyone thinks they’re special, but no one is special. Most people can’t think a thought that hasn’t been thought before, most people can’t write a sentence that hasn’t been written before.

On the other hand, everyone’s DNA is unique and everyone’s interplay of DNA and nurture is unique. So we are all special if you equate special with unique.

But it seems that the ways we think and the ways we express ourselves are so dominated by the culture in which we’re immersed that unique thought and unique expression of anything is exceedingly rare. So, always having been an outsider and never feeling myself to be accepted by my culture…maybe I have a better shot than most at expressing something unique.

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The Story of You

12 April 2015

Unless you’ve ridden your bike around the world or taken a canoe down the Amazon, no one will be interested in The Story of You. You can assume that only you are interested in that story.

That’s one of the differences between journaling and blogging. A journal is an appropriate place for The Story of You, a blog is not. A journal is a good place to write about your emotions, motivations, inchoate ideas, and everyday trials and tribulations. A blog is a good place to write about interesting, exceptional stuff you’re doing, things generally outside of your head (unless you’re a world-class philosopher).

That’s taken me years to figure out, but it goes a long way towards explaining why some of my blog posts are so unsatisfying and awful and others are enjoyable.

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Writing Every Day

26 March 2015

All I’m asking of myself is that I write every day. That’s all. It doesn’t have to be profound, but it does have to be as well-written as I can make it at the time. That means that even if I’m writing poorly and I know it, I still have to write. I don’t get to put it off until I can write well. I do have to write every day.

This also means that instead of collapsing in front of the television with a beer at the end of the day, I’m going to have to make the effort to write instead.

It doesn’t have to be a lot, but do write something every day.I feel the need to exercise that muscle.

Maybe longhand, so I’m not staring at a computer screen before bed…except I want it in Evernote. Scan after? That sounds like a pain. I can just transcribe the best ideas.

So here are two concrete tasks that will help me achieve my goal of becoming a better writer:

  • Publish something to a blog or newsletter once/week. It can’t be tiny, but doesn’t have to be huge.
  • Write every day

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