The Psychology of Writing

Our behavior is easily modified by reinforcement, but we can take back control when the reward is no longer working for us.

I’ve been a willing participant in an experiment, and have just recently realized it.

It all started when I began writing as a hobby. I worked in a primary care clinic, and I created a monthly newsletter with behavioral health tips for the staff. After a few months, I thought my patients might benefit from the information too, so I created a WordPress blog.

My blog was a form of community outreach, and it was fun for me. I enjoyed writing and sharing life tips through a behavioral health lens.

Over time, I wanted to find a larger audience for the blog, so I began looking for ways to promote it. A friend told me about Medium, and I joined the platform in late December 2020.

My first three articles were self-published and only received a handful of views, but it was more than my blog was getting, so I was excited.

I submitted my fourth article to a publication, and it got a few hundred views in the first week and made a little money. It was surprisingly reinforcing to go from $0 to $3. Money suddenly became a motivator for me.

How Many Articles Do I Have to Write?

When you receive a reward that you value, it can be a powerful tool for behavior change.

When you hold the door for someone and they smile and say thank you, this will feel good if you value praise, so you will hold the door again for another person. If you love chocolate, and every time you pick up a book someone gives you a Hershey Kiss, you will start picking up books more often.

We give and receive reinforcement all the time because it works. If you want to increase or modify behavior, add a reward.

When I joined this platform, I was not aware that some writers made significant money here. I hoped I might make enough to cover the $5 membership fee, but that was the extent of my dream.

Then, through an intermittent reinforcement schedule, this platform trained me to perform in a way that surprised me. Here is how it happened.

Fixed ratio

A fixed-ratio schedule of reinforcement means you get a reward when you do a set number of behaviors.

• Every time you eat your dinner, you get a treat.
• After five push-ups, you get a quarter.
• Every third article you write goes viral.

With a fixed ratio schedule, the number of responses before a reward is always the same. You know exactly what it takes to earn an incentive.

Since you know what it takes to get a reward, if you do something and you don’t get a treat, this can change your behavior.

For example, if every article you publish goes viral, you are on a fixed ratio of one. Every time you write something, you have financial success.

But what happens when the reward stops?

After several months of successful articles, you publish one, and it bombs. You are surprised because the story wasn’t supposed to fail — you expected a viral one.

So, you try again. You write another article, and it performs poorly. Your actions are no longer being rewarded reliably, and your behavior starts to change. You write less.

Very few writers, if any, find themselves on a fixed ratio reinforcement schedule. Writers do not have success every single time — they are more likely to be on a variable schedule.

Variable ratio

A variable ratio schedule of reinforcement rewards you after a random number of responses. The requirement is constantly changing, so it is hard to predict when you will earn a reward.

Slot machines in a casino provide this type of reinforcement. Sometimes you win money on your first spin, and other times it is your tenth spin. You never know when the slot will pay, and this keeps you playing it.

As a writer on this platform, you are probably on a variable ratio reinforcement schedule. You can not predict when an article will be successful, so you keep publishing with the hope that it will be rewarded.

There are times you will have several articles in a row that do well, and other times you may publish five writing pieces that all do poorly.

You never know when the reward is coming, so you start producing more and more content trying to trigger it. You begin writing more.

Does this sound familiar?

Money Changes Everything

If you find yourself in a writing pattern that makes you feel a little crazy, you are not alone. Reinforcement can change our behavior, and sometimes we do not even realize it.

I started writing for fun, and then when money entered the mix, my motivation shifted. Money is a valuable reward, and I wanted more of it.

I started thinking about my writing from a financial perspective instead of an outreach one. I began to follow the money, and it led me off my intended course.

Humans are easily trained. It is fascinating to observe but less fun when you are part of the experimental group. However, once you realize how your behavior is being modified, you can make changes if needed.

Resist the Trap

For the past few weeks, I haven’t felt much joy in writing.

When I started measuring my writing success based solely on finances, I became discouraged and lost my motivation when the money decreased. I began feeling pressure to produce more content. A fun hobby turned into a source of stress.

So, I hit pause and took some time to consider what I find reinforcing on this platform aside from money. It turns out there are many things.

I can promote my blog, plus I have met some wonderful people in the writing community that I would not have otherwise known. I can tell people in my social circle that I’m a published author, and that sounds pretty cool.

My writing skills have improved, and I have words in some publications that I initially thought were out of reach.

I like writing on a variety of topics, and I occasionally try my hand at humor. This platform allows me to experiment and write about anything and everything. Most of these experiments don’t earn enough for a cup of tea, but they bring me joy which is worth a lot.

All of these benefits are reinforcing to me as long as I recognize them as rewards. Money is not the only thing worth chasing.

If you, like me, have lost some of your passion for writing, are you being reinforced in ways that are no longer working for you? If so, step away from the cheese because it might be a trap.

Take some time to consider what brings you the most joy about this craft.

Money is nice, but if it is the only reward that is important to you, it may be difficult to stay motivated when it ebbs and flows. When we find alternate forms of reinforcement, it can make a difference in our success.

What are your reasons for writing?

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