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More people should write (2012)

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Re: More people should write (2012)

#41

Post by vonjuice »

narinxas wrote: post #20
tene80i wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This only follows if the only value/worth you consider is economic value, ie for trade. Which would exclude much of what people value: creativity, scientific knowledge, insights for living, personal growth etc. Obviously those have economic value in certain ways, but it’s not their only value.

i'm just exactly at that "moment in life" where it's either 'make' money (i.e. collect it from others using trade) or recieve welfare (ask for donations, beg on the streets, call parents...)

I think cooking is a good analogy. You may have no desire to get into the food industry, but having cooking skills is good for you (and potentially those around you) regardless.

Re: More people should write (2012)

#42

Post by Obscurity4340 »

BizarreByte wrote: post #34

I don’t write because writing is tied to some very bad memories. I’m terrified of people reading what I write and humiliating me, it wouldn’t be the first time. Me innermost thoughts remain mine alone as a result.

Bro(scillator), u fine. Just respond to that which is evocative to you and you won't be able to stop the words pouring out of you like... Ya you get the analogy ;)

Re: More people should write (2012)

#43

Post by runjake »

BizarreByte wrote: post #34

I don’t write because writing is tied to some very bad memories. I’m terrified of people reading what I write and humiliating me, it wouldn’t be the first time. Me innermost thoughts remain mine alone as a result.

I feel you, but you should get over that. You’re only hurting yourself.

Counseling with a qualified professional is immensely helpful. With a decent counselor, you could start seeing results almost immediately.

I am rooting for you.

Re: More people should write (2012)

#44

Post by afrieirham »

causality0 wrote: post #24
narinxas wrote: post #6

the more people out there that write, the less writtings by people are worth scarcity never creates value, but it always incresases it but also: the more pople have written, the cheaper text and AI bot training become which makes me feel in a funny situation, the more I write, the better I get at it, but it also makes it simpler for AIs bots to learn my style and make it worthless by the inverse-scarcity phenomenon

If someone asks me if they should do something I do, I always lay out the pros and cons of doing what I do, and try to give them the questions whose answers they need to know in order to decide if they are the type of person who should. Why are there so many articles by writers telling other people they should be writing instead of telling them why they might or might not? I would never presume that any of my hobbies…

> Why are there so many articles by writers telling other people they should be writing instead of telling them why they might or might not?

I guess it's a "better" title in a sense that it gets people to read (ie clickbaity)

A "pros and cons" article vs "here's why you should do X" elicit different emotions, which I'd argue, the latter is better for attention grab.

But I do agree with you though, when someone asks me for advices, I always try to give them context.

I also try to understand where the "advisor" comes from when I see radical advices out there. Even if I don't agree with it, at least I can understand the reason behind it.

Re: More people should write (2012)

#45

Post by PikelEmi »

kingkongjaffa wrote: post #9

I love reading and writing. Do you all have any advice for writing more and writing better?

I do a daily writing exercise that is to write at least 1000 words, whatever comes to mind. No editing. Just let it flow and see where it takes you. When you get used to it (which you will do very quick) you will be surprised how it improves your writing skills.

Re: More people should write (2012)

#46

Post by [deleted] »

vonjuice wrote: post #41
narinxas wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

i'm just exactly at that "moment in life" where it's either 'make' money (i.e. collect it from others using trade) or recieve welfare (ask for donations, beg on the streets, call parents...)

I think cooking is a good analogy. You may have no desire to get into the food industry, but having cooking skills is good for you (and potentially those around you) regardless.

[deleted]

Re: More people should write (2012)

#47

Post by mrcsd »

I've recently started writing daily, since September. Setting a daily word target was what worked for me, I do at least 1600 a day and try not to write too much more. If you're writing a first draft of around 90k words then it will take only 56 days to get there at 1.6k a day. My realisation that this was actually a pretty small time commitment really helped me finally take the plunge.

This is obviously an old idea, and indeed I'm just copying a similar process to Haruki Murakami's. I definitely recommend his series of essays on being a novelist: Novelist as a Vocation (this really helped me).

On to second draft now and moving from daily word count to number of chapters or paragraphs edited has helped as just a metric for pace. Doesn't mean it's quality writing, just that I have a sensation of movement and progress.

Re: More people should write (2012)

#48

Post by SlickNixon »

jerrre wrote: post #37
broscillator wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I find burning pages kinda therapeutic. Give it a try, write your least shareable thoughts and then watch them burn.

How do you you do this in practice?

Well-ventilated area, non-flammable container, lighter/matches. Liquor, cigarette, thousand-yard stare optional.

Re: More people should write (2012)

#49

Post by ravenstine »

The reason I don't write is that I'm unconvinced that a worthwhile number of people will find my writings and actually read them in 2023.

I'm fine with doing all my writing on HN. If you look at the comments section of my profile, it might as well be a microblog.

Re: More people should write (2012)

#50

Post by jodrellblank »

jerrre wrote: post #37
broscillator wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I find burning pages kinda therapeutic. Give it a try, write your least shareable thoughts and then watch them burn.

How do you you do this in practice?

You just gave me a sad idea where there are people who exist to adulthood who have never burned paper or seen it burn first-hand. Like city children who have never seen animals, or lakes or seas or oceans, or never seen the stars, deprived of some deeply human experiences. (I grew up with a log fireplace at home, but I also played with friends using a magnifying glass to concentrate sunlight and ignite paper out on the street).

Do you mean "how does one burn a piece of paper" literally? Or, how does that person arrange their life to have a fire regularly?

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