I have been writing for a long time, not as a journalist despite earning a BA in Journalism back in 2006, but as a content writer. For years, I wrote marketing copy and professional blogs about sports and casinos, the kind of content that had to sound smart, persuasive, and just serious enough to make you click. It paid the bills, but it wasn’t me.
When I started this blog, I realised I wasn’t just documenting my journey as a career-changing developer. I was also rediscovering my own voice, which had been buried under a mountain of corporate jargon and “Top 10 Casino Tips” posts.
Writing for Myself vs. Writing for the Algorithm
For most of my career, I wrote to please someone else: clients, bosses, and the SEO overlords at Google. Every sentence was carefully tuned to hit keywords or a specific tone that wasn’t mine.
This blog has been my way of saying: forget that. I wanted to share my journey in my own words, with my humour, my personality, and sometimes my rants about curly braces. The feedback I’ve had so far? People connect with authenticity, even in tech blogs.
Coding Made My Writing Better (Wait, What?)
Writing a blog about coding has taught me to think like a developer when I write:
- Structure first, details second.
- Debug your sentences. Cut out the unnecessary fluff.
- Iterate. Draft, edit, rewrite, and then rewrite again because the first draft is always messy.
The parallels between writing and coding surprised me. Both are about solving problems and making sure your work is clear enough that someone else can “run it” without asking too many questions.
Humour Is My Secret Weapon
When I was writing sports or casino content, I couldn’t throw in jokes about goalkeepers or slot machines. Everything had to feel polished and professional.
Here, I get to be me. I can write about Java as if it’s a dysfunctional family, or compare debugging to football training drills. And it works. It keeps me engaged, which makes it more fun for anyone reading.
Why I Think Every Dev Should Blog
Not because it will make you famous (spoiler: it won’t), but because writing about your journey forces you to:
- Reflect on what you’ve learned.
- Explain complex ideas in simple terms, which is a superpower in interviews.
- Showcase your personality beyond your GitHub repos.
Plus, when you write in your own voice, you stand out. There are enough soulless coding blogs out there.
The Biggest Lesson: Your Voice Evolves
I didn’t find my tone overnight. The first posts on this blog were stiff and cautious, a ghost of corporate Rodrigo. Over time, I started relaxing, letting my humour and personality seep into my writing. It’s become not just a blog, but a personal development diary and a portfolio of sorts.
I’m not saying I’m the Shakespeare of Java tutorials, but I’ve definitely built something that feels like me.
Closing Thoughts
Building this blog taught me two things:
- Writing can be as much about self-discovery as it is about sharing knowledge.
- When in doubt, add a joke about coffee. It works every time.
Next week? Maybe I’ll get back to Java. Or maybe I’ll just keep writing about this wild journey of coding, content, and career change. We’ll see.
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