Why Everyone Should Write More

I believe anyone can be a competent writer.

I also believe that if someone finds an area of writing they are passionate about, they can become a great writer.

I believe writing makes one a better communicator, has immense benefits on well-being, and makes one stand out in the job market. These reasons are why I have produced this article on the topic, hoping that others will decide to write more and have something to add to their skillset.

To begin with the first of five main points, I think it is important to highlight the ubiquity of writing. Writing--and by extension, typing--is something we do every day in some capacity...meaning that focusing on something we do every day will have immense benefits.

Let us begin.

1) Writing comprises a role in virtually every facet of life

As mentioned, writing forms of a part of day-to-day living.

For example, we:

• Send texts.
• Compose letters.
• Comment on social media.
• Answer emails.

And we should also consider the need for writers in other areas of life:

• If you want someone to send a letter of persuasion to someone or an organisation, you would find a writer to do it best (or to guide you through the process).
• If you want a captivating book, television show, or video game with a riveting story, writers are behind the scripts, scenarios, and plot progression points.
• If you want to ensure that a piece of work flows and reads well, you would hire a proof-reader or an editor--someone who has a good grasp on what it means to write accurately and engagingly.

You can probably think of many more examples. All of them hammer home the reality of the role that writing comprises in modern society.

Writing is virtually everywhere.

In particular, writing is commonplace in a professional environment. If you are asked to produce a written report in the workplace, then having good writing skills will improve concision and readability of your work. It even comes up in disciplines you would not expect: as an interviewer once told me, people in sales know how to sell, but many do not know how to write persuasively. The point was that learning how to write could make the prospecting and closing stages of sales easier--because writing well makes you a better communicator and allows to compellingly detail products and services--giving you a unique advantage.

Think outside the box for a moment, and consider the many ways in which writing can be applicable. I can certainly think of another big example, and it is one that forms the basis for the next point:

Communication in general.

2) Focusing on writing improves communication skills

Writing is one of many forms of expression. Simply, it is the act of having thoughts and then committing them to paper (or a computer).

Writing is what gives your thoughts physical form: order, structure, and flow. Therefore, learning to write well will make you a better communicator.

When I write articles, I make sure that I convey my thoughts clearly. To ensure this happens, I take time in the process. I typically complete a first draft of a piece--non-linearly completing section after section--and then reconstruct the article after reading through the draft. Then, I read it through one more time and comb for spelling and grammar mistakes, reading it through one further time if I have caught a sizable portion of mistakes.

Then, once I am confident that I have produced work of a high standard, I finally hit "publish". Mistakes sometimes slip through, but I always take extra care to ensure my work does not contain them.

This shows that you take pride in your work and makes me think about why people say phrases like "think before you speak". Talking without deliberation can range from committing basic social faux pas to spreading misinformation and venom, which can find you in regrettable situations. Fortunately, writing gets you into the habit of communicating with intention, making you a better orator as well as a better scriber.

If we took as much care with our speech as we did with writing thoughtful passages, we would all be better off. Think back to what I said about writing being useful in unexpected roles such as in the communicative aspects of sales, and go from there!

3) Writing is an easily showcased skill

In a professional environment, there exist what we call soft skills and hard skills.

Soft skills are demonstrable personality aspects. If you describe yourself as hard-working, being able to work in a team, good at negotiating, or as possessing strong critical thinking skills, then you are speaking of soft skills.

These skills typically require evidence to back their existence, e.g., showcasing a scenario in which you worked with others in delivering a project.

Hard skills are more technical skills, ones acquired through experience and learning--for example, coding with Python, mixing audio files, proofreading, etc. They are more easily showcased because they can comprise a body of work--a portfolio. Can you guess which one writing is?

Instinctively, I would say it is a hard skill. Certainly, specialised types of writing such as copywriting, technical writing, etc., are all hard skills, because they require one to learn a certain style of writing and produce something that can be tangibly seen and measured.

However, I would also argue that writing can form parts of soft skills, too, such as being an effective communicator or being well-organised.

Either way, we can see that writing is a valuable skill--one that can be evidenced with ease.

If an employer is looking for a writer, and you are in turn looking for a writing role, then evidence of your work can be provided to support your claim. Remember what I said about a portfolio--a body of work--and realise that this exists as a summation of your capabilities. Works included in your portfolio can pertain to blog posts, articles, newspaper columns, freelance projects, published books/papers, and so on, and are all examples of what employers are looking for.

This is true other jobs as well: artists post their work online when looking for creative jobs, and coders post their projects on github when looking for developer jobs!

Personally, my portfolio comprises of articles from my blog--of which I have over one-hundred--my volunteer articles, and my academic assignments. I continue to expand my portfolio the more work I produce, and strive to improve wherever possible.

Thankfully, improvement is easily tracked with writing:

4) Writing is an easily tracked skill

Whether or not you are looking to utilise the skill professionally, I bring good news: writing is easy to track progression with.

This is true of any skill, really, and the process of improvement remains equally as rewarding.

After partaking in an activity for a period of time, improvement and progression would both be expected. Seeing a positive change in your proficiency inspires confidence that you have gotten better at the activity you have dedicated time to. All of this creates a positive feedback loop, which eventually leads to further confidence and then competence.

It is no different to reading a workout log from six months ago, realising that you are lifting significantly more weight now, and becoming excited and motivated at the prospect of becoming even stronger in the coming months!

Personally, I read my old blog posts, and then compare them to my recent work. Often, I realise that I have improved significantly and often go back to correct and/or change segments of text, including incorrect grammar and tense, and awkwardly worded phrases. I also hope that I will be a better writer in the future, ensuring this by setting more lofty writing goals!

To conclude this point, it is important to consider that improvement beyond a point must be a guided process to see meaningful returns. Writing more and writing consistently are good goals to set in the beginning and will undoubtedly result in increased skill; however, refined goals such as striving to perfect spelling and grammar, and learning to engage and influence an audience (if that is your objective) will help you progress in the later stages.

Think about the law of diminishing returns: there comes a point in which more raw effort does not lead to meaningful results. You have to strategise intelligently.

Finally:

5) Writing is a creative and therapeutic outlet

In the past, I have likened writing to solving a puzzle.

Writing involves finding a topic to write about, writing it well, and then structuring it so it flows cohesively. This is no different to completing a jigsaw: finding which pieces fit, building large sections, and then re-ordering and fitting them all together for the big, completed picture.

Solving a puzzle is an immensely challenging yet satisfying process.

Writing is challenging yet satisfying for exactly the same reasons.

When I feel stressed or bored, I pull up a playlist of relaxing music, open up a word-processing platform, and start writing. I pick a topic that I have been eager to write about for a while, and let the words flow without worry for perfection.

A few paragraphs later, I feel better in myself.

In the past, I have said that people should strive to have multiple types of hobbies: ideally, those that are done with other people, those are done individually, and those that contribute positively to health. I furthered this claim, saying that at least one should involve you creating something--for example, a picture in drawing/sketching, a finished product in cooking, or a model in modelling/building.

And of course, for writing, I mean creating a piece of written work.

Having something to marvel at after creating it delivers an immense sense of achievement of confidence. When I finish an article, for example, I feel proud that I dedicated my time and effort towards producing something of tangible value. When I am not having a good day, I look back on my creation, and it makes me feel better.

In life, I think it should be a leading goal to find something that allows you to create something for you. I have found that with writing, and hope that you can find something for yourself, too.

Closing thoughts

I have been consistently blog writing for over six years now, and yet I still feel like I have much more progress to make--certainly, more than the progress I have already made.

But that is ok: I am committed to staying humble and growing as a person.

Upon closing this article, I hope that you will give pause to reflect upon the utility and importance of writing. My sincerest wish is that you have taken something from it and can apply the principles within and outside of your professional life.

And here is an executive summary of those principles:

• Writing finds its way into virtually every facet of life, meaning that being a better writer will serve you well across all areas
• Writing makes you a better communicator, communicating with intention
• Writing lends itself to creating a portfolio, which can be showcased for future employment opportunities
• Writing is easily tracked, meaning it is easy to see progression with. This progression increases confidence and gives guidance for improvement in the future
• Writing is a creative and therapeutic outlet, boosting wellbeing and confidence from producing something of tangible value

Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoy the rest of your day.