Tag Archives: writing

Reading and writing

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I’ve had a change in my circumstances in the last couple of weeks. Reading and writing have helped me work my way through it in my mind.

They create a path to answers when you do both with a sense of purpose.

Both skills are worth the time and effort that it takes to see an improvement. They serve each other. Reading primes the writing pump.

Take a 30 to 60 minute reading block. Non-fiction works for me. Then step away for an hour. Make some food or get a workout done.

Then sit down and recall what you read and write about it. See what comes up.

It’s a handy double-act.

Great read on the world of media

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These guys all have a story behind them.

The tycoons at the heads of the modern and historic media empires the world over are a story in themselves. This is that story.

From William Randolph Hearst to Elon Musk, this book demonstrates the power these people wield. For those who tried to get in their way it was never, or will never be, easy.

The Murdoch family takes up a lot of the pages with good reason. The havoc they are causing the world continues as the family navigates legal battles and infighting over ownership, whilst also trying to squeeze every last drop from the press titles it still owns.

I wouldn’t normally go for a book like this but it was great. Well written and interesting from start to finish. Highly recommend.

Ways to be nice to yourself

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Go sit in a church. Not for the religion unless that’s your thing. Meditate. Enjoy the silence. Feel safe.

Listen to an album. Listen to it, stop everything else. See where it takes you. Make some notes on the feelings you feel, plus anything else that pops up in your head.

A smell in the place you work. Coffee maybe, a candle, incense sticks. It gives you a sense that you’re in your space.

Buy something for yourself. A piece of clothing you like (rather than need). A t-shirt, maybe. A pen or a notebook. Don’t go crazy on price; it’s just a small token.

Watch a favourite movie. Spend the couple of hours totally into it. No other distractions.

Exercise. Even a dozen squats while you make a coffee is something. The more you can do, the better. Do whatever you can.

Treating yourself like someone special, someone who deserves to be treated well, will make you stronger.

You have a lot to give.

You’re valuable.

You deserve it.

The case for making notes

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I started writing in early 2020 in simple lined notebooks as a way of straightening out my thinking. By June of that year I had started my fifth book.

There was a lot coming out. I was 48 years old. Life was a struggle. I couldn’t seem to make anything stick.

I had been working on my own small business for about 4 years. It was making money and a small team was supporting me but there was little satisfaction coming from the work I was putting in.

The writing stopped me in my tracks.

From my writing, I could see that things had to change. I could map out ideas for the future, make sense of the lack of fun, the lack of progress, and the breakdown in my self-belief.

It did a couple of important things that I needed at the time – it put it all there in front of me, and it set me on a new path.

One of the by-products of continually writing these notes has been the ability to revisit them. The progress I’ve made since those dark days is clear.

I took time to listen to what was going on inside myself, and being real about my attitude to life. I hadn’t done this before, and I’m glad I began to. It’s unlocked much more than I thought it would.

The words I wrote are hard to look back on but they needed to be said. I had to have this kind of talk to myself, being honest about where my life was at.

It all came out on the page once I committed to the process, the practice, of writing things out.

When I think back on how powerful a tool it has been (and still is), it’s up there with the best things that I’ve ever done for myself.

Write on your blog

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No one cares if it’s hard. It doesn’t matter. Just get it done.

What’s the point in having one if you don’t use it? It’s like having a bike and never riding it.

If you’re not adding to it, it just sits there. Everyone can see it’s empty.

Deep down, you know you should be writing. It bugs you. It’ll eat away at you.

You’ve got two choices: keep it and use it, or kill it.

One or the other.

Reduce the friction

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The less friction there is between thought and action, the better.

Logging in? Picking a different device? Turning on a keyboard? All slows me down when it comes to writing something, for example.

This can apply to most things we want to do that carry the ‘hard’ label, requiring some thought and effort.

The chances of producing something new reduces once the ‘thinking about how to do it’ procrastination process starts.

The fast, simple route is the good one here.

Robert A. Caro

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Ever heard of Robert Caro? I thought not. Look him up and get your hands on his work. If you have, you’ll know why I reckon he’s The Man in terms of writing and journalism. He’s still working, well into his 80’s. It’s a job that he’s filled full of passion through the years.

His life’s work has been telling the stories of only a couple of men who changed society in their own ways. His first book, The Power Broker, describes the rise and fall of the most powerful unelected official ever to hold office inside a democracy, Robert Moses. The guy built the infrastructure of modern New York City – parkways, public parks, bridges, beaches, and tunnels – but ruined numerous lives – those of everyday politicians brave enough to vote against his projects, anyone in a property on a route he wanted to develop, and anyone else who got under his feet – along the way.

The Power Broker won the Pulitzer Prize in the 70s when it came out after a few years in the making. The title sums it up but the combination of great investigative journalism, sound non-fiction wordsmithing and a killer story underpin why Obama credits it as the book that got him into politics.

I’m biased – I admire the man. His work shines as a beacon of hope in today’s world of influencers and fakery. He’s a brilliant writer. He calls in his lunch order to the same cafe, the Cosmic Diner, at the same time every day. Talk about consistency. Give his work a try if you’re into biographies and non-fiction.

Can you get more from less?

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So much stuff that we write doesn’t get read. Emails, blog posts, posts of all kinds. We just don’t have time to read everything. There’s so much coming at us today from all angles.

Brevity rules

If you can say it in 300 words or less, you’re winning. 

If you can say it in 100, the chances of what you write being seen and read increases by a big margin.

Add a call to action – eg. come and say hi on Facebook – and this post is long enough. I’ve made a point, given a tip and asked you, the reader, to do something to get you into action. 

Do you actually need much more than this? 

(And this one’s over 100, even in this short format.)

Fear of the blank page

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The calendar notifications dings and it’s time to write that post I’ve been putting off. I’ve had it on my mind for a few days but now the blank page is staring me in the face.

I’ve got a vague idea for the post but nothing is coming easily. What else can I do instead? Put the kettle on, check my emails (again) perhaps? Fill up my water bottle (again)… Nope, this time, I’ve gotta get it done.

Then the self-sabotage starts.

Why’s anyone going to want to read this?
It’s sooo much work for sooo little reward.
My writing is terrible compared to (add the name of any writer who’s ever put pen to paper in the history of time).
Writing is hard.
Who did I need to call urgently today?
I can’t get the idea out of my head and onto the page.
It’s making me feel so uncomfortable, I’m just going to put the kettle on…

I finally get back to the desk and things start to take shape. The idea for the post works itself out in my head and then onto the page and I crank out about 150 words..

I do a couple of re-reads, make the odd change and I can see there is still a bit more needed to close the thing off. Isn’t there some washing up to do? (I never wash up). I’ve gotta pay that bill today or else…

And then, with precisely 90 more seconds of focussed effort, the job is done and the weight is lifted…

Until the next time.

I’ve managed to get my thoughts onto the page in my own style and taken another step on the path to making writing a more pleasurable habit.

Words are the glue that holds communication together and the way we use words matters. I’m learning this at a late stage in life but I’m glad it’s finally sinking in.

It also gets easier the more often you do it. I’m writing every day now and a habit has formed. I had a day last week when I missed my daily slot and I didn’t like the way it felt.

I’m stockpiling new ideas for topics and beginning to find inspiration in weird places. I take a lot of notes but the number has increased and the fear of the blank page is getting smaller all the time.

And the bottom line? It’s a marathon, not a sprint, but I’m glad to be in the race.

How to kickstart the process of generating great content ideas

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“I just can’t do this. I haven’t got anything to say”.

I’ve heard this come out of many mouths when I’ve talked to them about social media. It can seem a very daunting task to put your thoughts out there, into the public sphere, and all of your fears about making mistakes and ‘looking bad’ do tend to rise to the surface. It’s a very common excuse, though – one of quite a few on this list but you’ll be pleased to know that it’s also very easy to overcome.

The value in using social tools as a business comes from demonstrating to readers/viewers that you know your stuff as the starting point. There is information in your head that you might think of as mundane and not of much interest to others, but this is the stuff that people will learn from and connect with. You’ve got to think about what kind of information will be useful to the reader, however dull it might seem to you. Whatever your trade or profession, there is information that you have in your head that might be hugely useful to others so think about how you can make this knowledge start to work for you.

Another angle that always reads well is your own personal experience. If you were to think back through the experiences that have defined your career and then document the path your career has taken through the years, you could come up with some interesting details. Think of the people who have had the biggest impression on your career and also the biggest changes in your sector through the years, plus how you and those around you have adapted. Try commenting on where you feel your industry is heading in line with the overall macroeconomic picture and the turbulent times we live in today – there is a lot of data available at places like this and this so think about how best you can turn this into useful information for your followers.

Once you’re delivering some good work and getting more comfortable with putting your thoughts online, it could then be interesting to start to ask for input from your readers and approach a few more controversial topics with an eye on encouraging some debate. Ask readers for their opinions and encourage comments to build some engagement, being sure to reply to all comments to let readers know you are listening. You don’t need to start any fires – they can be damaging and very, very tricky to put out when they get going – but think about hot topics in the press/media that have relevance to your subject area and decide on an angle to take that will polarise opinion and get the reactions you’re looking for.

If you’re still struggling after reading this far, give me a shout and i’ll see what I can do to help you.