2023-09-08-When Writing Becomes a Lifestyle: Insights I Share with You - Minority

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Highlights#

What I hope she understands the most is not which skincare product to choose, but some basic principles of choice ⤴️ ^74f5df3c

I strongly agree with this, perhaps among the readers of this article, I am the only one who will pay special attention to this point.

Style should naturally form after many attempts; imitation in the initial stage can certainly help us establish a stable writing output efficiency, but it should not be limited by it. The best writing is the writing that flows smoothly ⤴️ ^f1b6c71f

Don't aim for perfection, allow flaws, write first, and let everything else follow. This is a way to quickly enter a state of flow and also a good method to lower the threshold for starting, similar to the idea of learning for 5 minutes no matter what.

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I have always believed that among various forms of expression, writing is the most challenging one. For someone like me, who speaks faster than I think, the first reaction to seeing something is to say it, but writing has become a difficult luxury. It has been nearly a year and a half since I became a Minority author. Although I am not highly productive, I have gradually written a few pieces that made it to the homepage. The change that comes from starting to write is immense; as writing gradually becomes a part of my lifestyle, I find that my life has quietly begun to change. For the first time, I understood what it means to be subtly influenced.

The Hardest Part is the Beginning: Overcoming Perfectionism#

After graduating from school and joining the workforce, I officially became a Minority user. Initially, I was only looking to obtain digital reviews and information, but unexpectedly, I discovered a plethora of lifestyle articles on the platform, which opened up a new world for me. However, merely reading was never enough; as a "lifestyle enthusiast," seeing others write about this and that made me itch to write something myself, planting the seed of wanting to write.

The distance between thought and action is often greater than one imagines. First, I struggled to come up with suitable topics; second, I always hoped to polish my writing further before publishing, which delayed my starting. Perfectionism is not exactly a shackle, but it does create some resistance to action. One cannot simply convince oneself to abandon a certain idea in a few words; in writing, the way to overcome perfectionism is to create some reasons for oneself, to find ways to weave together things that seem unworthy of writing about.

Find a Small Thing You Are Interested In#

Many writing tutorials will tell you about fragmented writing. For beginners, fragmentation means you might need to record a lot of scattered moments without focusing on themes, first developing the habit of recording, and then gradually achieving breakthroughs in writing. After a simple attempt, I found this method not very friendly for beginners. Once the desire to write arises, any idea can be seen as inspiration, and in a short time, a large amount of "material" can be recorded. Even without discussing quality, finding a piece among these elements that can lead to a coherent article is quite challenging. Imagine being a novice in academia, and on the first day of school, you are handed an overwhelming amount of academic papers; it is undoubtedly a significant blow to confidence.

So let's return to the original question: What should be the first step in writing? It should be choosing a topic.

Rather than recording a bunch of inspirations hoping to cultivate a writing habit, it is faster to directly define a theme. Just like elementary school students learning to write essays, assigned topics are often the first step. We don't need to take exams, but the method is universal. Coincidentally, a friend started asking me about skincare issues, which I thought was a perfect topic to create from, so I decided to start with skincare.

Choosing a theme does not guarantee everything will go smoothly. Nowadays, we are used to self-media and accustomed to concepts like "persona," "keywords," "deep cultivation," and "niche." Even before producing a single piece, I had already begun to sketch out the grand blueprint of a self-media matrix in my mind, inevitably falling into the dilemma of topic selection: how should I layout this topic? Where should I start writing? A new round of entanglement began.

However, at this point, I already understood that these were merely blueprints, with no signs of execution. Therefore, it is better to abandon excessive thinking. The fact is, any small thing that allows you to speak now can become the starting point of this creative theme. It is simple and direct; just grab a small thing you are interested in and start writing. Facing my friend's skincare questions, ==what I hope she understands the most is not which skincare product to choose, but some basic principles of choice==, so this "skincare principles" became my first topic, and thus my writing journey began.

Skincare notes became my first writing theme.

Carving Out Complete Writing Time Amidst Busyness#

The first challenge of action is time. Under a 12-hour work system, it is hard to find large blocks of time for writing. I also tried recording whenever possible, but when it came time to piece things together, I found I had completely forgotten why I wrote those things. After hitting a wall once, I decided to change this strategy; I still needed a relatively complete block of time to support writing, and this task naturally fell to the weekends. I thought everything would go smoothly, but I encountered two consecutive weekends of writer's block. Under high-intensity work, there is often no priority higher than lying down and entertaining oneself, so it seems that assigning this task to the weekend was a bit too ambitious; I needed to think of another way.

As the saying goes, "stealing time from busyness," being busy can actually stimulate one's motivation to be idle. It seems that I not only needed a complete block of time but also a time when I was in a good state and motivated. Thus, I chose a weekday evening to complete my first piece of writing at the office. Since it was a weekday, I still felt a lot of urgency; the relaxed feeling of writing on weekends was completely absent, and instead, I typed quickly and orderly. Without time to meticulously polish the text, I could instead discard some obstructive distractions and produce smoothly, leading to the completion of my first draft.

Then Comes the Intermediate Difficulty: Finding Positive Feedback and a Main Line#

Having experienced the success of writing for the first time, the next step is to find ways to keep going, which is another challenging task. Persistence requires reasons; if one does not suddenly discover and realize their lifelong pursuit, it is hard to maintain sustained motivation simply by relying on passion. I needed to create some conditions to encourage myself to keep going.

Actively Seek Positive Feedback#

Doing anything requires a good feedback mechanism to avoid quickly giving up or losing direction. What to do after writing? Actively seeking an audience for oneself is a great method. The reason I began to entertain the thought of writing was that I noticed many excellent authors contributing long articles in various fields on Minority, so naturally, my first piece was published on Minority. If you can find a suitable platform for content publication, that would be ideal, but there is also the simplest method: start seeking feedback from those around you.

Friends, family, and interest circles... are all good places to obtain feedback. These feedbacks have two very intuitive benefits: they are quick and mostly positive. For beginners, we indeed need more encouragement and valuable suggestions to persist. Choosing a large platform for publication may lead to more exposure and better results, but it is also likely that initially, no one pays attention. Therefore, focus on the small things first; send the finished product to people around you or within your interest circle to receive some simple feedback and support, which can help build confidence. Colleagues in your interest circle might even help you generate ideas for your next creative theme and inspiration.

Positive feedback fires the first shot.

Establish Your Writing Main Line#

After obtaining some basic feedback, the external motivation reservoir is mostly established, and it is time to shift perspectives and look inward. For myself, to gain sustained creative inner motivation, a very important method is to establish my own writing main line. This main line does not have to be limited to content; it can include time, publication platforms, writing style, etc., all of which can be found.

Theme Main Line: Interest = Familiarity + Surprise#

After completing my first piece, I naturally thought of sticking to the theme of "skincare" and continuously outputting a few pieces of content, as this is a broad topic with plenty to discuss. However, when it came to actually implementing the next piece, I realized that having a lot to say is not necessarily a good thing; it can make you feel unsure of where to start. I recalled a saying from teacher Wan Weigang: Interest = Familiarity + Surprise. A theme that you like should also be a field where you already have some knowledge but also some unknown details. In terms of writing, what I need is a topic where I have writing experience but still need to deepen my experience to produce content. I also recommend using this method to filter out a few suitable creative themes for yourself, making it easier to quickly locate topics that you can write about without getting bored.

A fan in a fan group wrote a series of articles based on their viewing experiences, which is truly moving.

Time Main Line: Fixed and Deliberate Writing Time#

Should writing be driven by interest? Yes, but not entirely. Abandoning something halfway is a phenomenon that is likely to occur in any endeavor, and the spark that has just been established cannot be casually extinguished. Therefore, I need to design some "rules" for myself to help cultivate a good writing habit. Considering that I still have to face work most days, if I arrange fragmented time for writing every day, it is easy to give up due to irregular efforts and unstable output. Thus, I set a "writing day" for myself each week, dedicating this fixed time specifically for writing. During this time, I try to shut out all external information sources and focus on completing my writing.

At the beginning of this plan's execution, I found that although the time was set, the output was not stable, and efficiency fluctuated. Only when nearing the end did the writing speed significantly increase, and the first piece was produced in a rather "wobbly" manner. As time went on, the output speed of the second and third pieces gradually increased, and I realized that this is inherently a process that needs to be iterated gradually. No matter how cleverly planned, one may initially fall into various pitfalls. At this time, what needs to be done may not be to adjust the writing strategy immediately, but rather to persist a little longer. It is necessary to have a few attempts before observing whether the strategy is effective. Once you have a few stable outputs, habits and rhythms will basically form.

Style Main Line: The Smoothest is the Best#

Writing style itself is not a difficult issue. I have always believed that it is the various content platforms' "styles" and "personas" that create confusion for creators regarding their writing style. Writers' words certainly have distinct writing styles, but no truly moving style is deliberately practiced and approached from the first word written. When we see Xiaohongshu copy, or big V public accounts, it is very easy to establish an "ideal style" in our minds.

I remind myself to avoid falling into this trap at the beginning of writing. ==Style should naturally form after many attempts; imitation in the initial stage can certainly help us establish a stable writing output efficiency, but it should not be limited by it.== ==The best writing is the writing that flows smoothly==. If the writing theme you initially choose is one that can be continuously produced, then don't worry; after producing a few pieces in succession, you will definitely have your own writing framework.

Interlude: The Tool Enthusiast is Never Absent#

The top student has one pen, while the poor student has many stationery items. Unfortunately, I am a typical example of having many stationery items. Before doing something, I always strive to prepare all my tools before taking action. This habit is not inherently bad; having many stationery items is not necessarily a problem. If you don't even have a suitable tool, you might already be defeated before the battle begins.

Identify Key Tools in Your Writing Scene#

As mentioned earlier, to ensure my output efficiency, I choose to write during fixed time slots. This means my core writing scenes are either at home or while out. For home writing, I already have a monitor, a height-adjustable desk, and an ergonomic chair. For writing outside, my existing MacBook Pro can easily support me. It seems that I have equipped myself with all the tools, but the real challenge is identifying the most elusive tool.

I set my first test scene in a café, a space considered very suitable for work and self-improvement. Although the Mac provides me with a lightweight body and long battery life without needing to plug in, I found that these are not the most important factors determining writing efficiency in a café; the key factor is: noise.

Nowadays, most cafés are like battlefields with high-speed trains, where business partners discussing multi-million deals and groups of people laughing and chatting can easily share captivating stories. Sometimes, the sound of the coffee grinder becomes the most grounding sound for me. Therefore, in this scene, noise-canceling headphones are more important than a lightweight computer or smooth software. If you prefer writing in a café, I recommend that you have a comfortable pair of noise-canceling headphones.

The second test scene is home. At that time, Shenzhen was often silent for three days, and the pain of being unable to go out forced me to find the secret to efficient collaboration at home. In my previous article, I mentioned that the study corner at home is a necessity with a sense of ritual for me. In this corner, I completed my second article in three days. During these three days, I carefully considered which tools would be most helpful for improving efficiency, leading to the following four prominent questions:

Scene 1: When writing certain parts, I need to check things while continuing to write;
Scene 2: Staring at the computer screen for too long always makes the text feel too small and tiring to look at;
Scene 3: If there is a bed, I want to lie down.

Summarizing, the two key words are: large screen, away from the bed.

Compared to the Markdown note-taking software essential for efficiency bloggers and the myriad of mechanical keyboards, the core condition that home writing truly needs to meet is: how to make the text catch your eyes. Choosing a corner of the bed that is as comfortable as possible and a screen that does not strain your eyes too much is a great start to improving my efficiency.

As for tools like the Pomodoro timer and focus mode that help us concentrate, I believe that after you have a successful practice of writing at home, you will naturally grasp the combination of these modes.

Finally, the Hardest Part: Letting Habits Bring Change#

Rejecting perfection, obtaining feedback, finding suitable tools... all these actions ultimately serve a longer-term goal: cultivating a habit of sustained creation. What is most admirable about teacher Cai Tou is that regardless of whether the writing is concise or rambling, being able to persist with daily updates is an impressive achievement. As my only platform for publishing writing, Minority has only published 16 articles so far. I cannot claim to be an experienced veteran, but I can certainly share a few methods for sustained creation.

Mysticism: Have Faith in Writing#

Superstition is not to be encouraged, but one should believe in mysticism. Humans are creatures governed by inertia; we are very good at persuading ourselves. When we establish a belief in something, persisting becomes the only choice we face, and being focused comes naturally. Belief is often built on confidence, which is why we need to continuously seek positive feedback and "persuade" ourselves: it turns out that what I write can also be welcomed by others. Please make sure to utilize various elements around you to help establish your belief in writing. Being your own Buddha is much more useful than going to a temple.

Small Entry Points: Start with Simple and Sustainable Themes#

In addition to finding themes that allow for sustained creation, we can also start with simpler assigned topics. If you enjoy reading, try writing a two or three hundred word review after finishing a book; if you like music, write a simple review after listening to an album; or if you love binge-watching shows, creating your own text-based commentary for each show or movie is also a good choice. You likely have many of these hobbies, and platforms like Douban provide great opportunities for you. Why not give it a try? The cost of creating from small entry points is low, and the efficiency is high. Perhaps after continuously outputting a few reviews, your analysis of a particular themed movie will quietly take shape.

Change: Writing Can Bring Us Calm and Reflection#

What has writing brought me? This question I may not be able to answer well even now; the only answer I have is: change.

Being able to express my thoughts through writing is essentially a process of secondary processing. Words are always more rational than language. After getting used to the various clickbait titles, quick articles, and Xiaohongshu-style copy, I find it increasingly difficult to systematically process a matter in my mind. I always hope to quickly see the conclusion of a matter or a topic. Once you start trying to write, you will realize that explaining and clarifying something is not an easy task. Perhaps you don't need more materials, but you certainly need more reflection and refinement. Writing is just a path, a path leading to calm and reflection; this is likely the ultimate goal of writing.

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