Dear Writer! You Can’t Dedicate Your Whole Life to Write

Many believe your identity shapes up based on what you spend most of your time doing.

Doctors devote the majority of their time to meeting patients. Singers dedicate themselves to singing, while athletes invest a significant portion of their time in practicing their sport.

This notion gains further reinforcement when aligned with Gladwell’s theory of the 10,000-hour rule.

One takeaway we can take from Gladwell’s whole 10,000-hour thing is; practice definitely matters to become a pro. You need that good chunk of practice time under your belt. But the figure of 10,000 hours is not an absolute number at all because all practice is not equal.

And I think this idea doesn’t really work when it comes to writing.

Honestly, I’m not so sure that I could become a pro just by sitting in front of a laptop for 10,000 hours, doing nothing but writing.

There’s this study in the New York Times by Ericsson and his crews. They basically spilled the beans that the whole 10,000-hour thing is more like a ballpark figure for decent practice — easy to remember, but not exactly built on rock-solid grounds.

When it comes to gauging time, everyone’s a bit different in how much they soak up. Some individuals can master skills before reaching 10,000 hours, while others may require more time than that.

I see #writing as a unique profession that might not neatly fit into this rule. Because for me, inspiration often sneaks in when I take a breather from writing.

So, here’s an alternative approach you might want to consider instead:

The myriad of lives.

An empty teapot can never pour water into a cup. To produce interesting writing to share, you simply need a more exciting life.

As a writer, you are not only typing in a blank screen, but It’s more like being a treasure hunter in the land of ideas.

You need to get into a hobby that truly fires you up. You need a little anxiety to nudge those intriguing questions into your mind. You need failure experience to gather valuable lessons that are worth sharing. You need a social life so you can think and see ordinary issues from various angles.

Personal experiences add a burst of life to your writing, letting you capture sensations and details in vibrant detail.

Indeed, in reality, individuals never occupy just a single role, even when their professional duties seem singular. You’ve got the power to see things from different angles, playing roles like a friend, a parent, a spouse, or even a kid — depending on the various relationships and connections you hold.

So, having more life to have more ideas to write. You need dynamic elements that bolster and invigorate your creative capacity.

Writers need this element to deliver credible insights

One thing that I’ve found goes hand in hand with writing, no matter what kind you’re into, is research. Amid the array of research options, let’s spotlight the vital role that numbers, data, and scientific reasoning play in shaping our understanding.

I once came across a fellow writer who think research is boring and too predictable. I get it, especially if we’re talking about those overly hyped tips like waking up at 5 a.m. or hitting the gym. But there’s a whole world-captivating exploration that’s still up for grabs.

Research furnishes you with evidence and examples that fortify your points, lending strength and persuasiveness to your writing. Furthermore, you can choose to explore in-depth information and insights, infusing your writing with a sense of richness that elevates its informativeness and engagement.

Blockbuster tales like Harry Potter, Twilight Saga, and Jurassic Park aren’t just products of wild imagination; they’re built on a foundation of thorough research intricately woven together with the author’s boundless creativity.

Also, we humans often have a bias, thinking our work is great just because we put in a lot of effort. But data, numbers, and scientific explanations provide a solid basis, making sure we’re not just great marketers but legit conveyors of accurate info.

We can’t be pros in everything. So, research is a practical way of admitting that we’re always open to learning.

To me, research enriches my writing by placing my topic in a broader context. This way, readers can easily get why it matters.

This skill aids in fostering a stronger connection with the reader

You must have that friend who, whenever she starts talking about something, everyone stops to listen.

I used to think certain people were like human magnets, effortlessly successful in snagging everyone’s attention. Yet, the truth is they have mastered a single skill: the art of storytelling.

I’m one of those people who struggle with memorizing history. But back in high school, my history teacher changed the game by starting lessons with stories. It was like a miracle — the whole class listened attentively, and no pushing was needed. And the best part? I can remember way more historical events from those stories than I ever could by just reading and memorizing.

Numerous studies highlight the sheer effectiveness of the storytelling method for learning (study 1, study 2, study 3, study 4). Maybe that’s why we often vibe better with learning from workshops and casual settings more easily than the structured vibe of formal schools.

When you’re crafting your writing, storytelling acts as a conduit for your readers to grasp insights naturally, without any hint of condescension.

Lani Peterson, a senior manager at Harvard Business Publishing, breaks it down as how storytelling isn’t just about tales. It’s the remarkable ability to engage, influence, teach, and inspire its audience. In his writing, he breaks it down: when we’re told a story, chemicals like cortisol, dopamine, and oxytocin get released in the brain.

But why is this a big deal? Well, cortisol helps us remember things better, while dopamine takes charge of our emotions and keeps us engaged. Also, to build strong connections with readers, oxytocin is the go-to for empathy — a key ingredient for forming and nurturing solid relationships between you and your readers.

This skill help find your authentic voice

What’s the secret recipe for crafting a viral post?

Even if you seek advice from the most experienced writers, there’s still no laid-out formula for making a post go viral. The crux of the matter is that viral content tends to snowball further as numerous other accounts share it. Eventually, even those initially disinterested may become curious due to its viral status.

Writing is a creative art that defies exact formulas for enhancement. Instead of seeking ways to go viral, exploring ways to make your writing more authentic can yield truly remarkable results.

Every writer has a unique voice to convey. However, discovering your authentic voice is not something that happens in just one attempt; it’s a gradual and incremental process. Hence, another crucial skill in this pursuit is observation.

Back in the day, reading was all about soaking things in when I wasn’t writing. However, now my reading has transformed into a tool for investigation.

I asked myself why I was engaged by every sentence from one writer yet quickly skimmed through the work of others. What’s the deal with some posts making me curious to learn more while scrolling while I simply breeze past most others?

From here, I enjoy exploring threads that reveal the essence of high-quality content, and in doing so, I’ve discovered my own voice pattern that resonates with my style.

Writing encompasses a multitude of aspects that we need to grasp and master. And some of those skills are not obtained from writing.