According to Brandon Sanderson there are two kinds of fiction writers: discovery writers and outliners. (George Martin calls them gardeners and architects.) Outliners plan what they write. Discovery writers make everything up on the spot.
I am a discovery writer. Everything I write is made-up on the spot.
I write by thinking out loud. I can’t write from an outline because I can’t write about anything I already understand.
The Feynman Algorithm:
Write down the problem.
Think real hard.
Write down the solution.
The Feynmann Algorithm works for me because whoever writes my posts is smarter than me. Whenever I can’t solve a problem I just write down the answer and then read it.
I think this works because I don’t think in words. But the only way to write is with words. So when I write I just make stuff up. But words, unlike thoughts, must be coherent. So my thoughts come out way more organized in text then they ever were in my head. But nobody can read my mind, so after writing a post I can pretend that knew what it was going to say all along.
I have a problem writing blogs, because when I explore a topic in my head, it sounds interesting, but I usually can’t start writing at the moment. And when I already have the opportunity to write, there is already too much I want to say, and none of that it exciting and new anymore.
I am better at writing comments to other people, that writing my own articles. I thought it was the question of short text vs long text, but now I realize it is probably more about writing as I think, vs writing after thinking. Because even writing very long comments is easier for me than writing short articles.
I sometimes feel the pressure of making a first draft of a short article perfect (or at least really good). But historically that’s never been the case. My first drafts are usually dumpster fires thrown into bigger dumpster fires.
The way I’m able to approach writing a first draft is through the use of two mental tricks. (1) I pretend it’s just another journal entry I’m writing—that takes the pressure off and I don’t take myself too seriously. (2) I recognize that the majority of what I write in a first draft never makes it to the final draft. The first draft is merely an exercise in structured thinking. The refinement comes later through editing.
According to Brandon Sanderson there are two kinds of fiction writers: discovery writers and outliners. (George Martin calls them gardeners and architects.) Outliners plan what they write. Discovery writers make everything up on the spot.
I am a discovery writer. Everything I write is made-up on the spot.
I write by thinking out loud. I can’t write from an outline because I can’t write about anything I already understand.
The Feynmann Algorithm works for me because whoever writes my posts is smarter than me. Whenever I can’t solve a problem I just write down the answer and then read it.
I think this works because I don’t think in words. But the only way to write is with words. So when I write I just make stuff up. But words, unlike thoughts, must be coherent. So my thoughts come out way more organized in text then they ever were in my head. But nobody can read my mind, so after writing a post I can pretend that knew what it was going to say all along.
I have a problem writing blogs, because when I explore a topic in my head, it sounds interesting, but I usually can’t start writing at the moment. And when I already have the opportunity to write, there is already too much I want to say, and none of that it exciting and new anymore.
I am better at writing comments to other people, that writing my own articles. I thought it was the question of short text vs long text, but now I realize it is probably more about writing as I think, vs writing after thinking. Because even writing very long comments is easier for me than writing short articles.
I sometimes feel the pressure of making a first draft of a short article perfect (or at least really good). But historically that’s never been the case. My first drafts are usually dumpster fires thrown into bigger dumpster fires.
The way I’m able to approach writing a first draft is through the use of two mental tricks. (1) I pretend it’s just another journal entry I’m writing—that takes the pressure off and I don’t take myself too seriously. (2) I recognize that the majority of what I write in a first draft never makes it to the final draft. The first draft is merely an exercise in structured thinking. The refinement comes later through editing.
Good thing you wrote this down.