![]() And personal isn’t the secret sauce for connecting with the masses. Personal stories are just that - personal. Don’t tell me it hurt your wrists to carry oxygen tanks behind your back - tell me how I can overcome pain when I’m wheezing and struggling to bench 60 pounds at the gym. I need YOUR story to make MY life a better place.ĭon’t tell me Mount Everest gets cold at night - tell me how I can handle the cold when I let my dog out at 5 am. I don’t care if you’re the only person to climb Mount Everest with your hands behind your back. But without an underlying message, stories have no meaning. Or college dropout-turned-millionaires via their Mom’s basement. Viral tales about start-up founders who hit eight figures. Personal stories can feel like the elixir of success on Medium. Tzu’s Clue #3 - Turn personal stories into relateable lessons And the more you write, the better your baseline “good enough” becomes. That advice is for you if you edit your work to death without ever feeling like it’s “ready” for publication. “In war, then, let your great object be victory, not lengthy campaigns.” He’s a believer in results, not forever grinding away in battle, because the goal is to defeat the enemy, not fight forever. No matter how strong you are as a writer, your success has a ceiling until you uncover the path to “good enough”.įollow Sun Tzu’s lead. Whether your goal is to grow your readership, reader stats, or bank balance, stay focused on those goals. The less you focus on the fine print, the more you can focus on your output. The aim is to train your brain to be non-stick. But when those high standards keep you trapped in a constant cycle of editing, your strength becomes a crippling weakness. You set high standards for yourself - which is great. Is your intro punchy enough? Are your sentences brief enough? Are you pleasing the all-seeing Grammarly Gods? ![]() As a writer, it’s easy to get lost on that road to perfection. Studies show perfectionism has significantly increased since the 1980s. Tzu’s Clue #2 - Stop editing and start publishing Do that, and others will come to see your instantly recognizable writing style. Harness your unique voice, then apply the standard rules of grammar and formatting to stand out. When people say, “Your vibe attracts your tribe,” they’re not wrong. If you’ve got opinions, interests, or qualities that make you unique, let them mold your work. But never sacrifice who YOU are as a writer to be who someone else already is. And learn how to template your writing to expedite results. Learn when to use a semicolon (I suggest never semicolons are far too confusing). In other words, go ahead and learn the basics. Let your methods be regulated by the infinite variety of circumstances.” “Whoever is first in the field and awaits the coming of the enemy, will be fresh for the fight whoever is second in the field and has to hasten to battle will arrive exhausted. Sun Tzu cautions against the pursuit of others in The Art of War, writing, Trying to imitate them guarantees you’ll be worse. ![]() Reading them can help you become a better writer. And literally thousands of other writers online. This leaves their body of work a strange amalgamation of other authors.ĭo you know who has a clear and instantly identifiable tone of voice? Sean Kernan. ![]() Tzu’s Clue #1 - Don’t clone your favorite writerĭeveloping your personal writing style is a crucial step on your journey to improve your craft - but it’s a step most writers miss. ![]()
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