by Alex Mathers
A guy I follow on Twitter asked his followers:
‘What’s ONE challenge people face when trying to grow on Twitter?’
I tweet responded:
‘Losing the enjoyment to create and write. You need to find a way to have fun here or you’ll give up.’
He inspired me to write a post on all the ways we can make consistent writing enjoyable.
Be obsessed
The energy around obsession will carry you further than anyone else. Obsession grows out of momentum. Don’t think, just write, and you will be energised to write more. There’s little more exhilarating than being taken by this current.
Make it a game
Most of us make things personal: ‘I’m just not a writer,’ ‘I’m not cut out for writing every day.’
Sorry, bud, but who cares about you? Let go of yourself and focus on your system. So make your system a fun game. Draw a big X on your wall calendar each day you write.
Be real
Parroting platitudes is going to suck the soul out of you. You will quit if you’re not speaking your truth.
Dig deep and tell us what you really want to tell us. Writing is not a hobby — it’s a crusade.
Be patient
You’re expecting immediate results.
Of course you’re hating this game. Stay in it. Enjoy the process. I wrote 200 articles before anyone took any interest. Now my words reach hundreds of thousands daily.
Write lists
Brainstorming ideas is foundational for my work. I love the process of coming up with lots of ideas to solve specific problems (like writing this post). Start here.
Write down everything you can think of on a topic. How is this not fun?
Focus on results
Let’s be real. You’re not likely to want to keep creating if your content continually gets little engagement, and you see little growth. It’s not just about ‘self-growth.’
You want to win. As such, you must continually learn everything you can to succeed on the platform you are using. You are not ‘above’ learning about what works.
Treat writing as a mindfulness exercise
Just like the walk through the woods, or the meditation you look forward to, writing can be the same.
Sit down, open your mind, connect with your soul, and type freely.
Break
You need to pace yourself. Have short and long breaks.
Rest isn’t laziness — it will fuel and recharge you so that your subsequent writing benefits. Your best writing needs you to take time away from the computer, and having experiences out in the world (that you can write about!).
Know your why(s)
What’s your vision?
Who do you want to attract the attention of? What great things are you building? What exciting results are you working towards?
Remind yourself of your writing purpose daily.
Be fast
Writing fast gives us no option to stall. We must write — this will lead to more fluid words, and therefore better words.
Write a lot. Edit later.
Watch your words accumulate like bricks for some magnificent palace. You can write a book in a weekend.
Tell us your stories
You’ll be surprised how many life tales you can draw upon.
Even seemingly ‘meaningless’ or understated moments can be turned into a meaningful story and post from which readers can gain.
Commit to fun
Look for it.
Ask: How can I have fun in my writing today? 80% of the fun in writing comes from you simply deciding to have fun.
Write short
A book is composed of many 50-word pieces. Focus on the 50-word chunks. This will enliven you because it’s easy.
Be more conversational
Allow your writing to come out as effortlessly as it would when you’re speaking to a friend in the pub.
Writing doesn’t need to be some dry, formal process. Speak with your fingers.
Plan less
Let writing be an explorative process. Sure, have an outline, but otherwise just write to figure it out.
Write your way through problems to find solutions. Surprise yourself with what appears.
When we don’t know the ending, it’s more interesting.
Be ridiculous
When everyone is writing a thread a month, you’re writing five a week. Be crazy. Create a major unfair advantage.
Be over the top.
Life’s too short otherwise.
Write about what you need help with
Our brains are attuned to solving problems, and enjoy the satisfaction from finding a solution. Let writing be your tool for this. Write to solve your own challenges, and you will help others with theirs too.
Be strong
You’re writing tweets. Your forefathers battled for survival in a trench. You can sit with the discomfort, and you will write.
When you meet pain head-on and you stay in the game, you will be rewarded with creative energy.
Write about what fascinates you
There are hundreds of topics on which you can share. Focus on the stuff that you are interested in.
What do you love nerding out on?
This seems obvious, but many don’t, and they get bored. What do you buy lots of books on, or watch a lot of videos on? Go there.
Final takeaway: if you forget all of what I shared here, do this ⮕
Be willing to write when you’re uncomfortable, bored, alone, scared, dispassionate and not interested.
Be willing to write poor, ugly, uninspiring words.
When you lean into the writing and just write, no matter the situation, an interesting thing will happen:
You will start to feel it. You will start to have fun.
You will have stumbled on the secret.
#Twitter, #Awareness, #AlexMathers, #Medium, #HelpfulTips, #InterestingFacts, #SelfHelp, #SocialMedia, #Writing
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Vintage Dava 