Top 10 Personal Pet Peeves that Practically Piss Me Off

Summary

The article outlines the author's personal pet peeves that they refuse to tolerate or represent in their writing, emphasizing the importance of defining one's content boundaries to develop a unique writing style and voice.

Abstract

The author discusses the significance of establishing what one will not accept or project in their writing, drawing from their own experience of refining their writing style over a year. They emphasize that while it's crucial to explore various topics and ideas, it's equally important to set limits on behaviors and attitudes one finds unacceptable, such as childishness in adults, bitterness, selfishness, and a lack of cultural awareness. The article, inspired by a friend's work, lists ten specific pet peeves that the author actively avoids in their content, suggesting that this approach not only helps in finding a unique writing voice but also resonates with a specific audience. The author acknowledges the potential harshness of their stance but maintains that it is a deliberate choice to not engage with content that exhibits these undesirable qualities.

Opinions

The author believes that defining what you stand against is as crucial as exploring what you support in your content.
They assert that encountering certain negative behaviors and attitudes can be detrimental to one's writing and should be avoided.
The author values cultural awareness and respectfulness, and disapproves of close-mindedness and disrespect.
They discourage self-centered actions and the pursuit of money as the sole objective in life.
The author encourages writers to be mindful of their content's impact and to use their personal values as a guide in their writing.
They suggest that having a clear set of personal pet peeves can accelerate the process of finding one's unique style and voice in writing.
The author is open to feedback and invites readers to share their own pet peeves, indicating a community-oriented approach to writing and self-improvement.

In No Particular Order

Whether you write about the latest Apple gadget, your French pug, or Harry Potter fanfiction, every writer has a personal style or voice.

It took me about a year, and I’m still tweaking it.

One approach I used was to get tons of feedback as I wrote about self-improvement, sustainable presence, and life experiences.

I was always brainstorming lists of topics and ideas and thoughts.

I realized late in the game that doing the same for what you WON’T tolerate, amplify, or represent was just as effective.

It’s not just about exploring the options, it’s also about defining what you stand for in your content.

Applying this to your own writing system can really help you find your unique style and voice faster and definitely help when writing for a specific audience.

Inspired by my friend, Christina Piccoli, from her article, here are some things I don’t put up with and will never project on my own writing:

Childish and rude behavior in adults.

people who are downright bitter towards others.

Pure selfish and self-centered acts (all take, no give).

People who lack agency and possess a fixed mindset.

Disrespectfulness and willful lack of cultural awareness.

Close-mindedness in the face of truth, facts, or evidence.

Clowns (people who would do anything to attract attention).

People who focus on money alone, money first, money forever.

Self-absorbed, petty people that take advantage of and insult others.

People who pitch first, pitch second, and pitch again without providing context or earning trust.

It might be a little harsh.

I might be a little surly. (It’s just one of those nights.)

Don’t worry, I won’t cancel you if you exhibit these.

I simply choose not to read anything that pushes in these directions.

Thanks for reading to the end!

Feel free to share what your pet peeves are in the comments (or do what I did here and write a little blurb about it!)

If you’re interested in more tidbits I dig up from my mind, feel free to find me on X or sign up for my newsletter.

P.S. Seriously…this does help you find your style.