Get to Know Yourself If You Want to Be a Prolific Writer
Readers don't connect with your words because you haven't connected with yourself.
Every writer wants to be good at writing.
They shoot for the maximum level of impact possible. But sometimes that comes at the expense of revealing who they truly are.
The purpose of writing should always be to express what you feel inside, getting those thoughts out of your head. It’s easier to turn those thoughts and experiences into lessons once they become visible to us.
Yet we often cave to the fear of sounding too bland or too wordy.
The balance many of us crave becomes the biggest roadblock. There’s nothing wrong with striving to write with structure or clarity. Just don’t put yourself in the jail cell of perfectionism in the process.
The road to becoming a great writer starts with uncovering the deepest parts of yourself.
Getting the most out of journaling
I always come across stories detailing the benefits of journaling: better sleep, better writing, less stress, and even better memory. But not many are talking about this often neglected piece of the puzzle.
It’s writing down your honest thoughts and struggles that make all the coveted gains possible.
For the longest time, I would fill page after page of my journal with empty words. They wouldn’t mean that much to me because they weren’t expressing how I actually felt inside.
There was anger, anxiety, sadness, and happiness that all had sources for their existence in my life. The only way I could move forward and improve my life was to get them out of my head.
That part of writing is therapeutic because it provides an avenue of escape for thoughts and feelings burning deep within us. When I decided to let those things go, letting my pen flow, I discovered more about myself.
But I had to get over myself first. Sometimes we play the blame game with people around us when we are the only obstacle in our way.
You have to be courageous enough to get past your own fears and doubts before you even begin to concern yourself with those outside your realm of security. That’s how you get the most out of journaling.
You may be one of those people who gave journaling a shot but didn’t experience any real change in your life. I would challenge you to try again.
But this time, let your thoughts flow onto the paper in front of you. Allow your emotions to spill over onto the blank sheet of paper instead of holding it all in. I’m sure you’ll reap the same benefits I have, maybe more.
Revisiting your old words
When’s the last time you read over what you wrote in the past? How did you feel about it? Sometimes I do this and end up boring myself to sleep. Other times I want to cry or laugh out loud.
What sets the tone for either of these in my experience is whether or not I implemented the first point—getting the most out of journaling.
“Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom.”
—Thomas Jefferson
Was I writing honest words, words that reflect my emotions and concerns about life? Or was I just being superficial? Believe it or not, we can tell the difference in our own writing.
If you’re able to assess how impactful your writing is long after you’ve finished (meaning you can still feel the emotion or sincerity behind it), then you’re on the right path.
Those are words worth keeping.
Those are words worth sharing.
That’s because people are prone to resonate with them just like you did. They’re more likely to alter their lives for the better because they were able to feel your experience.
And it all starts with refusing to hide the sources of your discomfort or happiness. Let those components steer your writing wheels in the right direction.
Rinse and repeat
Good writers know how to draw from their experiences and turn them into lessons others can learn from. However, what sets them apart is their habit of writing with honesty.
Then they go back and revisit those honest words, which often generates other ideas and perspectives that went unnoticed before.
I was tired of looking at my words because they were void of any valuable lessons. They didn’t possess any true impact because I left myself out of them. When we do this, we damage our writing to the point of blandness.
No one wants to read that kind of stuff. Real must be your top priority, or else it will become your greatest enemy. Growth starts from that place, carrying you through to a more satisfying, simple, and meaningful writing journey.
Readers don’t connect with your words because you haven’t connected with yourself.
Once I started getting to know myself (my habits, strengths, and weaknesses), I became a better writer. I didn’t need validation.
I knew how I wanted to sound, but I’d always placed a leash on my fingers out of fear of how my words would come across to others. But what’s funny is the more I stopped caring about that, the more people would resonate with what they read.
There’s something special about letting go of the worries surrounding potential reactions to your output. If you want to become a prolific writer, get to the bottom of what makes you, you.