10 Writing Tips That Don’t Make Sense, But Work For Me

My writing is like a metal concert or something. It’s just a bunch of loud sounds that somehow make a harmony. To tell you the truth, I don’t know why my blog posts work.

I sit down, write one sentence, then write the next sentence, and I see where it takes me. It’s a very spiritual experience that I find hard to put into words. I detail my process in my courses, but wrangling down those lessons from my brain was quite difficult.

One sentence incites the next, which incites the next, and then before I know it, I’m done one hour later.

I know some folks who write for days before publishing a single blog post. I couldn’t do that. I don’t have the patience. I don’t care about saying precisely what I mean. I’ll put a sentence together and if you get it, you get it.

Sometimes I’m legitimately shocked at how many people get it, considering how fast I write.

After four years of writing online, I’ve published 1,000+ posts or something. Here are a few tips for those looking for a different way to slice the cake.

1. Edit As You Write

I edit as I go. I stop writing, re-read the entire blog post, see where the rough edges are, and smooth them out.

2. Re-Read Paragraphs As You Write

Re-reading paragraphs primes my brain for what comes next. It’s sort of like driving. Once you get up to speed, it’ll take a second to stop. I’m hoping the inertia of reading takes me forward to the next sentence.

3. Try Not To Outline Anything

All my blog posts start as a kernel of an idea. A single headline. I don’t know what points I’m going to make. That takes the fun out of it for me if I know beforehand. I enjoy figuring it out as I go.

4. Focus On Feeling, Not Going Viral

I want you to focus less on strategy and more on feeling.

Don’t write a listicle because some big writer told you to. Don’t try to get the wackiest cover photo because some big writer told you to. The technicalities of writing viral blog posts have their place, for sure, but I think “winging it” has a place at the table as well.

Imagine trying to feel your way around a pitch-black room.

Developing that skill in blogging is hard and requires a lot of repetition and practice.

5. Write About Stuff You’re Very Emotional About

It’s easy to write about something you

A. Know very well

B. Are very emotional about

Most of my posts are born from emotion. Therefore the words sort of flow from my fingers like force lightning.

6. Forget About Your Blog Posts The Second You Publish Them

I forget about my blog posts the second I publish them. They’re a running commentary on what’s going on inside my head.

This is as unconventional as it gets. It doesn’t make sense as a beginning writer to write something, publish it, then forget about it. You want to react to comments and engage with your audience.

The point here is to not spend a lot of time in the past. Just keep telling your story. Every post I wrote more than a week ago are posts I’ve already forgotten about.

7. Write For Your Enjoyment First, And Your Audience Second

I hope what I write is helpful. I hope I speak on topics that are relevant to people.

But I write for me. I write for my enjoyment, and I know that’s cost me money over the long-term, but what’s more important? Money or enjoyment?

8. Listen To Haters

They’ll give you ideas for future posts, which you can make money with. 😉

9. Complain

I love complaining in my blog posts. For some reason people really resonate with that sometimes. Don’t be afraid to complain about other people or what’s happened to you. Sometimes that can really galvanize people to your cause.

10. Writing Strategies Don’t Matter

Writing strategies are a dime a dozen, and they all can work! Some writers publish one post per week. Some target listicles. Some write about personal development. Some get very personal. Some research the crap out of their posts.

What’s the point?

The point is, everybody has their process. Some processes cannot be fully replicated. Some cannot be understood.

My writing process is like a tornado or something. I throw a bunch of crap at the wall and I see what sticks.

And I love that about what I do. Nobody can take that away from me, and somehow it’s worked well enough for me to make a living doing it.

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