1
The myth
Most people assume thinking comes first.
Writing comes second.
Writing comes second.
You have an idea. Then you write it down. In this view, writing is just transcription. A way of recording what you already know.
2
The truth
But that is not how it actually works.
When you sit down to write, you discover what you think. Trying to put something into words forces you to test it.
“Is this idea actually clear, or does it just feel clear in my head?”
3
The test
Three questions writing forces you to answer.
Do I actually believe this, or am I just repeating something I have heard?
Can I explain it, or do I only half-understand it?
Is this thought finished, or does it still need work?
You find out by writing.
Can I explain it, or do I only half-understand it?
Is this thought finished, or does it still need work?
You find out by writing.
4
Zinsser
A clear sentence is not an accident.
It means the writer has done the hard work of thinking the idea all the way through. Vague writing is almost always vague thinking. When a sentence will not come out right, the idea behind it is not ready yet.
The writing is telling you something.
5
The struggle
Stuck, staring at a blank page?
That is not a writing problem.
That is not a writing problem.
That discomfort is a sign that you are actually thinking, working something out that is not worked out yet. The only way through is to keep writing. Badly at first, if you have to. The thinking clarifies as the words come.
6
On AI
Outsourcing your writing is outsourcing your thinking.
The polished paragraph you did not write did not teach you anything. You skipped the struggle, and the struggle was the point. You handed away the exact moment where learning happens.
7
The point
Writing is how you find out who you are becoming.
What you know. What you believe. What kind of thinker and practitioner you are growing into.
It can not be delegated.
