I never thought anything I wrote was good enough, agonizing over every word.
Now in my second cohort of the Ship 30 for 30 digital writing course, I have achieved consistent, small breakthroughs. Enough to make me finally understand there actually is a better way, and Nicolas Cole and Dickie Bush have been the sherpas on the path. And it's helped me finally enjoy writing through one amazing, central discovery:
Lean & Digital Writers don’t write for readers; they co-create with readers.
Understand what the world wants from you through data.
The central insight is to move to being data-informed in choosing what you write, and how you approach it.
I used to pick some coaching observation, and write 20 minutes on it every day, without stopping, generating pages of meaningless tangents until I would eventually end up hating my rambling tirades I'd written, and abandon it. Or I would finally ship something after months, and wonder why I wasn't getting traction. But through the act of co-creation - putting something out there, monitoring the signals, adjusting, and expanding - I could finally get actionable data against which to improve my writing and my message.
Based on my experience, I'll summarize the three best pieces of actionable advice I've internalized from Dickie, Cole, and Ship 30:
#1. You can't steer a stationary ship.
Until you get something out in front of readers, there's no data to learn from.
The beginning writer's biggest enemy is perfectionism. My favorite quote here is from James Clear, quoted by Dickie Bush, who this year had the best-selling book on all of Amazon:
To master the creative process, give yourself permission to create junk.
@jamesclear via @dickiebush
Write and ship!
Real artists ship
Steve Jobs
#2. Lean Writing - Start small, get data, iterate.
If you are going to ship, it's important to start small & constantly be aware of the signals readers are providing every step of the way.
Dickie Bush and Nicolas Cole's Lean writing framework is the most immediately actionable way to ship work that people want to read. Start with a Tweet >> Twitter Thread >> Short-Form Article >> Long-Form Article >> Free Email Course >> Digital Product >> Online Course/ Community >> Business
Every step of the way, look at how readers are responding, what their questions are, and watch the engagement metrics.
#3. Community is the heart & soul of your writing.
Writing has traditionally been one of the most solitary pursuits.
But in the age of Digital and Lean writing, and through the mental models of Dickie Bush and Nicolas Cole, you come to understand that regardless of where you're starting, you can help someone else, they can provide valuable feedback to you, or even just cheer you on when you've lost your way.
The future of writing is Lean, Digital, and Data-Driven
No longer do I slave away on idle writing without focus or purpose. Through regular shipping, starting small, and community, I've made great friendships and learned more about writing, and unanticipatedly, and am actually enjoying the writing process. Thanks to the Ship 30 for 30 community!