A lot of great points here. I am someone who has really optimized for quality over time and gotten a lot of benefits from it. However, I've also gone too far. I spent 500+ hours writing a few articles in 2022, that did just ok. Most of the time was spent on research. Other times I have gone back over articles over-and-over.
I think the ideal scenario is writers who are both prolific and high-quality. I imagine there are two paths to this...
1. Start off as a speed machine that has pretty good content, but get a little bit better with each post.
2. Start off as a slow quality machine, then aim to become a little faster with each post without sacrificing quality.
What are your thoughts on these two paths? What am I missing?
Love the idea of being looser and not overthinking. I’m also working on that, which is why I’m calling my pub “The Random Times”, at least for now. I’m trying not to stifle creativity and just write about what I’m thinking about/feel like writing about in the moment. I think it will help me find what works and what doesn’t, for me and my readers. Eventually I’ll create more of a plan, but for now, it’s freeing!
You’re welcome! I understand. I guess I interpreted “looser” as not trying to fit your ideas into a box or categories/sections, and hitting publish even when they’re not perfect. I don’t think having a lot that you want to write about is a bad thing. Starting with an outline is definitely helpful! I do that for client work, but here on Substack, I’m trying to let loose. ✌️ I enjoyed reading your post. Thanks!
I feel like this is an important fact for us to realize as it can help us better recognize as well as catch ourselves whenever such perfectionist tendencies arise within us and prevent us from being more loose and relaxed with our writing.
We should try to reduce the strong hold our own perfectionism has over our approaches and styles to writing.
Alberto! I felt like reading about myself in this post. I spotted similar patterns in myself and now YOU pointing them out caught me in the scence.
I am not so much prone to the editing syndrome. I am probably more the other way round: I shoul write faster and more and then do some more editing rather than trying to get everything perfectly in a single (time-consuming and draining) step.
However, concentrating on smaller pieces and ideas and getting them out is a new priority of mine! When I started writing this morning, I realised that there were way too many ideas I wanted to fit into the post and the more I wrote, the more ideas came. So I simply started shifting these bullet points (or even whole sections) to new documents and appreciated that this might be actually already content for further separate posts!
I am software architect and consultant - so systems are my go to tools, too. I also realised I should write when inspiration strikes. However, if I get in the flow, I throw over board other tasks. So I think I need to work on something like a system that enables me to at least get the ideas down but then refocus to what my actually task is at the moment...
Truly brilliant and dang I do so much of this too. I adore the editing part too. It’s like working on a song for me. I want to make it sound just right. Great points and I will be putting them to good use. Glad I found you through Kristina!!
Great post Alberto!
A lot of great points here. I am someone who has really optimized for quality over time and gotten a lot of benefits from it. However, I've also gone too far. I spent 500+ hours writing a few articles in 2022, that did just ok. Most of the time was spent on research. Other times I have gone back over articles over-and-over.
I think the ideal scenario is writers who are both prolific and high-quality. I imagine there are two paths to this...
1. Start off as a speed machine that has pretty good content, but get a little bit better with each post.
2. Start off as a slow quality machine, then aim to become a little faster with each post without sacrificing quality.
What are your thoughts on these two paths? What am I missing?
Love the idea of being looser and not overthinking. I’m also working on that, which is why I’m calling my pub “The Random Times”, at least for now. I’m trying not to stifle creativity and just write about what I’m thinking about/feel like writing about in the moment. I think it will help me find what works and what doesn’t, for me and my readers. Eventually I’ll create more of a plan, but for now, it’s freeing!
Thanks for commenting
For me the goal is the opposite. I feel I spend too long on every single piece. I have a lot I want to write about but this way I've no time to do it.
You’re welcome! I understand. I guess I interpreted “looser” as not trying to fit your ideas into a box or categories/sections, and hitting publish even when they’re not perfect. I don’t think having a lot that you want to write about is a bad thing. Starting with an outline is definitely helpful! I do that for client work, but here on Substack, I’m trying to let loose. ✌️ I enjoyed reading your post. Thanks!
“I’m jealous of writers like Alex Mathers.”
and guess what? Alex is also jealous of someone else
Ahah thanks!
Maybe now he's such a zen master that he's beyond that
My toxic trait is trying to cram as many ideas as possible into one paragraph
Ah, I have a similar problem. I tend to make my articles too long. I want to analyze every detail of the problem.
A good antidote is to be excessively strict when outlining.
'But perfectionism always prefers the next one.'
I feel like this is an important fact for us to realize as it can help us better recognize as well as catch ourselves whenever such perfectionist tendencies arise within us and prevent us from being more loose and relaxed with our writing.
We should try to reduce the strong hold our own perfectionism has over our approaches and styles to writing.
Absolutely. After so many years publishing content and working with creators, I feel perfectionism is endemic.
I just take for granted it's always influencing my decisions and actions. So, I "just" have to find out how it's affecting them.
Thanks for the comment!
Alberto! I felt like reading about myself in this post. I spotted similar patterns in myself and now YOU pointing them out caught me in the scence.
I am not so much prone to the editing syndrome. I am probably more the other way round: I shoul write faster and more and then do some more editing rather than trying to get everything perfectly in a single (time-consuming and draining) step.
However, concentrating on smaller pieces and ideas and getting them out is a new priority of mine! When I started writing this morning, I realised that there were way too many ideas I wanted to fit into the post and the more I wrote, the more ideas came. So I simply started shifting these bullet points (or even whole sections) to new documents and appreciated that this might be actually already content for further separate posts!
I am software architect and consultant - so systems are my go to tools, too. I also realised I should write when inspiration strikes. However, if I get in the flow, I throw over board other tasks. So I think I need to work on something like a system that enables me to at least get the ideas down but then refocus to what my actually task is at the moment...
Thank you for such an in-depth comment.
Do you use outlines? I depend on them.
I list and structure what to include in the article during the outlining phase.
Well, I think that’s one thing I should do more: use outlines and not fully go free-flow & brain dump
I have a hell lot of writing experience from manuals, tech documentation, business reports, and now research.
But all of them use outlines. So I probably need to have something like this for my online writing, too.
Free flow can work when you explore an idea. But if the idea is too undefined when you start, you waste too much time.
Outlines are safer.
Truly brilliant and dang I do so much of this too. I adore the editing part too. It’s like working on a song for me. I want to make it sound just right. Great points and I will be putting them to good use. Glad I found you through Kristina!!
Thanks a lot!
With such a comment, I'm glad you found me too! 😉
Underrated tips. Appreciate this.
Thank you!
For me there's only the first one. In the beginning you can't know what quality is.
Publishing a lot creates a large sample to learn from.