how to write more

I’m trying to re-establish a writing habit. Here are my techniques:

1. I start my day by writing non-stop for 5 minutes, using Squibler’s “Dangerous Mode”.
2. I use Andrew by telling him when I plan to write and encouraging him to push me to follow through.
3. I schedule writing time on my calendar.

4. I’ve made a public commitment to writing, with money and my reputation on the line.

   

5. I keep my notes app open all day; I write down interesting thoughts as soon as they arise so I don’t forget them, and can build on them later.
6. If I’m sitting down to write, and short on ideas, I look back at ‘casual’ writing that I’ve done in the past few days. Have I had any interesting Slack or texting conversations? I sometimes turn a long text conversation into a short post. I especially like this method because it’s based on a conversation with a real person. It’s hard to write for a Generic Audience, and sometimes if I try to, I end up saying nothing meaningful at all. When I narrow my scope to one person, I don’t hedge, because adding qualifications is something you do to account for all the edge cases, and there are no edge cases when talking to one person. The result is usually a stronger article.