A lot of people ask me why I write so much. And I thought this would make an excellent blog post article.
My initial reasoning behind starting this blog was that I didn't have travel time anymore, and I wanted to use this time I previously spent on travel for something productive.
Hence a daily blog started.
However, at one stage, it became the perfect outlet to investigate, try out, and write about things I didn't have to try at work.
An outlet
Let's say your day-to-day job includes working on a React codebase, you've heard of Remix, but you aren't going to convert everything at once.
So what better way to try a system out than creating a side project with it?
In my case, that side project involves trying the system and working on it.
And while I'm at it, I might as well write down my learnings to help other people who also might be considering trying it out.
It helps me improve
Another reason for writing so much is that it really helps me improve. Not just in a technical sense but also a grammatical point of view, an explaining point of view, and dealing with feedback.
It's a great outlet to learn and grow from.
Let me share some fantastic experiences I had over the time that was only possible due to the blog.
- Gain technical feedback on articles: I've written many articles from my knowledge point of view. People with other points of view come in to share their approaches to solutions which in return makes me see different ways.
- Gain grammatical feedback: I can tell you with 100% confidence that writing this blog really improved my English typing, as this is not my native language it's an excellent outlet to become better over time.
- Explaining topics better: Sometimes, I write articles with a perspective that people will know everything I know. It's so amazing to get feedback from people who are missing steps which helps me explain specific topics better to them.
This list could go on even more; I'd love to hear from other bloggers about their improvements in writing blogs.
It's addictive
I won't lie, doing this daily seems hectic and I really would not recommend it to everyone.
But it's super addictive to me, it's become a daily routine, and I can't see myself not doing it.
The central part for me is that it has no incentive. I don't make money from it. And I don't gain anything other than personal knowledge.
Besides that, I enjoy writing these articles and being able to learn new things in this way.
Would you recommend it?
I would highly recommend writing articles, but find things you want to write about and a schedule that works for you.
Don't overdo yourself. Keep it fun.
If you're keen to read more about how I manage my writing, this article might help you:
The secret to my writing process.
Thank you for reading, and let's connect!
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Top comments (26)
You do write a lot :)
The notion that you HAVE to write something every day, doesn't that occasionally feel suffocating, to put it like that, as in "I'm not really in the mood but yeah I HAVE to"?
OTOH, if you have the discipline to write on a regular basis, then well why not do it every day ... and I agree that consistency is key, once you start compromising then it's the beginning of the end. Either have a rigid schedule and stick to it, or just forget about it ;)
Yeah more like that.
It's you have the discipline and by compromising it would probably end very quick.
The first point is something I don't often get.
There are so many cool things to write about/explore that I never really get this "not in the mood" vibe.
The opposite is often true, I have to tell myself to stop exploring at certain times and leave it for another day.
Well that's the most amazing thing about it - that apparently, you're never lost for topics to write about, you've always got something up your sleeve or in the "backlog" ...
What I also noticed - pardon me, but I think that's really part of your "secret sauce", is that you almost always keep your posts short, simple and to the point - I've tried to do blogging in the past, and I think what I did wrong is that I was writing these long elaborate pieces and was endlessly editing and perfecting them - and then I felt "this isn't worth it", it was a huge drain on my energy ... and a time sink.
So I think what you're doing right is:
... and this way it doesn't become a huge time sink and a drag, and you're able to keep it up.
Yes exactly, I even wrote this down a while a go.
daily-dev-tips.com/posts/the-secre...
Yes indeed, that post addresses all of the points that I raised, amazing, lol :)
Great post! I encourage everybody to blog π For me, writing solidifies what Iβm learning atm. It also helps others and helps me to revisit things. You wouldnβt believe how many times I have come across my own blog when searching for things π itβs a great feeling tbh.
Thanks for sharing this great piece with us.
It's such a great way to solidify and memorize your learnings.
Just checked your website and saw that you have the same content on your blog, on DEV and perhaps on a mailing list?
Did you by any chance figured my question out?
Forem as hybrid blog+mailing-list, substack style?
Jean-Michel Fayard π«π·π©πͺπ¬π§πͺπΈπ¨π΄ γ» Sep 7 γ» 1 min read
Hey yes it's all one content indeed.
Not quite sure I can answer it from a forem point of view though.
I loved the article π. Immensely good, at some points it turned out to be a mirror, because I share some of your reasons.
I happen to like the idea of sharing knowledge with a community, because at the end of the day we end up learning from each other. And another funny aspect is that after a blog turns out to be a repository, there have been several times during work when I went to my saved articles to read again something I need to implement. π
Keep up the great work, thanks for sharing the knowledge and congratulations for writing articles so regularly, it's an incredible effort. πͺ
Happy to read it worked like a mirror π
Will keep it an, and throwing it back at you:
Keep up your writing π
Very inspiring. Thanks for sharing your insights. I do love writing but still need some time for even one blog post even it is a small one. But thatβs fine.
And for me as well, my english has gotten way better. Big plus!
That's a massive plus, the english part also really works wonders on my end.
And don't feel rushed, only write when you actually have the time and energy for it.
I appreciate this information, currently, Iβm looking at how to start writing, and creating a blog, like you English is not my native language, so it is more difficult for me. But I donβt give up. Thank you very much.
Awesome, glad you enjoyed it.
Hope it helps on your journey π
Nice article.
I also like this simple answer from DEV.
I think we should write brief and to the point.
I envy people who can write massive long-form.
As i'm a person who doesn't like to read long-form it just doesn't resonate with me.
But i'm sure there's a market for everything.
Totally agree with you
Though I don't write regularly but yes I agree that you should be disciplined about your habit of writing that helps you in the long run. Can't agree more on this π
I admire your consistency to writing daily
Thanks Clara π
I feel the same way. It helps for my English and I can oraganize my thoughts by writing. :)) It encourages me, thank you!
Amazing!
So happy to contribute to that feeling.
I love writing, it is the way I express my feelings. Writing make me become more steady
That's amazing, happy to read this