Writing as water

Many marketing people I meet want to write, but don't know how. Got no time. No energy. Nothing new to say. Already been said. Writing becomes intimidating. And not doing it makes the monster feel bigger and scarier.

What surprises them is how much I write. "Where do you find the time?" Well, I don't find time. I make it. I don't sit down for a big ritual, though. I write when I can. My process, like water, flows into everyday existence.

I've written on my desk. On the bus. At airports. In coffee shops. On my sofa, after the girls have gone to bed. Watching TV. Or in total silence.

I've written for 40 minutes straight. But also for 14 minutes. Sometimes I write something in 3 minutes, leave it, and pick it up again later. There are no rules. No grand design. Just a high alertness for cracks in the calendar.

The monster of writing becomes smaller if you simplify its cognitive load. Lighter bursts, higher frequency. Like the gym. Or think of it like texting. Short sentences. Stuff you'd email. That's all it is. One point at a time.

Don't think of 'readers'. Think of one reader. The person who hired you. The person you had lunch with. Your arch-nemesis. You, five years ago. You don't always need the same reader. But do aim for one at a time.

Remember it will never be perfect. It cannot be. Perfect writing has no personality. It may be correct, or hooky. But it's in danger of feeling like LinkedIn slop. You don't want slop. You want soul. And so does the world.