If You Writing Less Because You’re Embarrassed by Your Writing, Do This.

It happens. Let’s overcome.

I have [very] low self-esteem when it comes to writing.

No kidding.

And I know you are not going to believe me. But you said you wrote 1,300+ articles in 36 months! Yes, but why do you think I [even] do that?

Because, deep down, I know I am not good enough.

And I choose not to avoid the craft. I show up.

I think. I draft. I read. I extract ideas. I infuse them. I learn from better writers. I attempt to write better.

1 article at a time.

1 word at a time.

Everyone has this moment

You have doubts.

So do I.

Who doesn’t? Even top writers do.

It is okay to dwell. But stay positive.

Here’s why.

We are supposed to be embarrassed about our writing.

Say what?

Confused?

Okay, I have 3 questions for you.

• How do you get there?
• Does ‘Best Work’ refer to 1 and only 1?
• Who is the judge of quality? A curation team? Your readers? You?

I will not contest the nuances or definition of quality [or best work]. It is subjective. Writing is, after all, an art more than a science.

But that is barely scratching the surface.

We are supposed to be embarrassed by our work because…

Because…

We are supposed to be better today than we were yesterday.

I repeat.

We are supposed to be better today than we were yesterday.

I should be.

I have 1,300 articles in my backlog to prove it. Just thinking about my sweat in words gives me the confidence to tackle a new article draft.

It’s true.

But you might think,

“Well, that is you. You have the backlog, I don’t. What should I do?”

And I am going to tell ya.

Heh heh.

Take tiny, tiny, tiny, baby steps

This is my advice for writers in doubt.

Take one step at a time.

You know those military teachings?

• [Just] One more pull-up
• [Just] One more push-up
• [Just] One more step.

We can inject those military lessons into our writing.

Focus on one.

Here’s how.

Identify and deconstruct what matters in online writing. Make a list.

If you need a head start — Here’s mine.

• Genres,
• Headlines,
• Introduction,
• Writing style,
• Sentence structure,
• Paragraph structure,
• Optimal reading time duration for your work.

Let me walk you through my thought processes.

1* Genres — Win, lose, fool.

Study your stats page.

Pick 3 genres to focus on. For me, it is,

• Money,
• Business,
• Retirement.

One note of advice. You must be interested in [Read: Obsessed with] these genres to preach and write about them daily.

If not, return to the drawing board.

Remember this.

No obsession, no improvement.

Period, end of story.

2* Headlines — Steal first. Improvise later.

There are reasons why headlines for online articles are written in a seductive and clickbait’y manner.

If readers don’t click…

… Then readers don’t read.

Need justification? Tap into your CNBC mobile app for inspiration.

You will understand what I mean.

Final point. Be a committed apprentice from Day 1. Those ahead have a blueprint for success. You don’t.

Be humble.

Learn. Steal [tastefully!].

Improvise later.

3* Introduction — Keep your appetizers simple

Appetizers are appetizers.

They cannot replace the mains.

Keep ideas concise. If you cannot, then aim to simplify.

• Share 1 story or,
• Present 1 idea or,
• Make 1 statement / bold claim.

The goal is to seduce your readers into the content body. That’s it.

4* Writing style — Be selfish

Use ‘I’s.

Sprinkle them all over the place.

Your experience matters. Readers want to learn from you. Write from your perspective.

Avoid the fact trap. You cannot compete with Google, Wikipedia, or YouTube on facts.

So, don’t.

5* Sentence structure — 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.

• Yup.
• That’s right.
• Keep it short.
• Let me explain why.
• People read while they scroll.
• Their eyes are moving.
• Deliver ideas fast.
• Enlighten them.
• Exit.

Notice the trick?

Haha, well. Take your time. Let me know!

6 * Paragraph structure

This is how I’ll rejig what I wrote in section 5.

Yup.

That’s right.

Keep your writing short.

Here’s why.

People read while they scroll. Their eyes are moving. Deliver ideas fast because they consume fast.

Enlighten them.

Then, exit.

You can elaborate your thoughts by adding words without losing your tempo. Play around to figure things out.

Our eyes are lazy. They need to see an endpoint. Give it to them. They will read the entire paragraph.

7* Optimal Reading Time

I can finish writing 800–1100 words in one sitting.

Henceforth, my optimal reading time is between 4 minutes to 5 minutes.

Find your sweet spot. I don’t recommend [novice] online writers to go beyond writing a 6-minute read.

It is too time-consuming. Editing afterward will be pure hell.

Be concise.

Get your message across.

Be gone.

The close

Don’t get too caught up with your self-doubts.

It is as normal as light is to day.

Instead, work it. Bring your words to life.

• Let them disappear from your noisy mind.
• Let them appear on the white screen in front of you.

You will get better at the craft.

This is my parting note.

Your 1,000-word article starts from the first word.

Take care of your first word. The rest will follow.

With time, your words on screen will shore up your confidence. Trust the process.

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Oh, oh, you can buy me a cup of black too! Thank you!