The Pathless Writer
My Writing Journey
My Writing Journey
✍️I love writing, and I like to do it in many different ways and for various reasons. Journaling has become one of my favorite regular practices. I even love coming up with silly yet thoughtful things to write on someone's birthday card. Since the late 90s, I've always dreamed of writing a book, and my first idea was about a museum heist. For years, I've wanted to write regularly online, but I never got around to it until three things happened.
First, my partner ❤️ has been an amazing and supportive first, and until now only, reader. Second, 📺Ali Abdaal inspired me with his infectious enthusiasm for being a creator. And third, Ali introduced me to one of the most important books I've ever read, 📖The Pathless Path by Paul Millerd. It made me realize I was missing something in my life. Something I had felt for years and not had the experience or skills to articulate. That thing was writing for an audience. For now, that means a newsletter, but one day, I would love it to be a book.
In the past, I had a shameful note in my Notion database called Spark, where I would jot down any writing ideas I had. Unfortunately, they usually went there to die 🪦. These ranged from book titles to dozens of bullet points about the plot, hastily drawn book covers, and mood boards of protagonists, settings, etc.
Why did I wait so long to start writing?
My two biggest fears were being paralyzed by perfectionism and fear of unoriginality. I was always trying to find the perfect sentence, the perfect word choice, or the perfect next plot point. It had to be completely original or it got discarded. Any writing I had done was stuck in a perpetual edit loop in the first couple of pages, often the first. This fed my anxiety, making it easier to drop a project rather than finish it.
Overcoming My Writing Obstacles
I learned to besmirch the blank page, to get anything down, even if it wasn't good, especially if it wasn't good. This helped me get what I wanted to say out before my internal filter could put me back in the death spiral. I also found bullet points to be less scary than full paragraphs. I could always add more bullet points as I went, and then, usually with a deadline looming, I would turn this mass of bullet points into actual sentences.
Writing for an audience has given me a sense of purpose that had been missing. It has also allowed me to connect with others who share similar interests and passions. I have joined a local group for writers and am taking a creative writing class. I still struggle with perfectionism and self-doubt, but I have learned to embrace imperfections and to keep pushing forward with my writing.
Write on!