Writing for Purpose
It all begins with reading…
We’ve all heard how we need to read more. Read more books, more articles, more pieces outside of your view of the world so that you can better assess your thinking, your views and thus change, morph and gain insights into topics you’ve never thought about before.
Reading takes you to different worlds. Perhaps even different planets. It can transport you back in time or a place in the future. Make you think about things differently, exposing you to new facts, ideas or hypotheses. Reading a nonfiction book or article can help explain a concept differently so that you can understand it, use it and perhaps teach others about it.
The saying goes, ‘Write what you know’. Is what you know what you are reading and listening to from others? Other people’s knowledge, experiences, life stories (or a fictionalised version of life), dreams, aspirations and ideas.
What about you? What do you know that you can write down? Whether it is just for yourself or for you to share with others, What have you learned? Writing what we know is just the start of the ‘build your own adventure’.
The Written Word
The written word is a powerful tool. It allows you to organise your thoughts without someone judging it or you in that instant that you’re writing it down. It gives you the chance to re work an idea or concept and then, it allows you to show it to someone else to see if it’s clear to them. It allows you to articulate your thoughts and ideas and helps others see your point of view.
You’ve put words to the page. You’ve thought about the exact words to help convey the right image, the right steps, the right ideas. The exercise of writing, the pain (or joy), the decisions of what word to use, the whole process, helps you convey messages. It takes practice, time and brain energy but the value is priceless.
Today anyone can be a writer. You can start a blog, you can open up a blank document and just start writing about a topic. Imagine a scene of a story and describe it in the written word format. If there is a topic you are interested in – you can write about it.
Writing to a schedule will force you to get words out of your head and onto paper (or the computer). Constantly reaching for vocabulary that might have laid dormant for years. Thinking about which words you might use to get the message across accurately, concisely or persuasively.
Funnily enough this goes back to reading. Reading more literature exposes you to more words. By reading you’re exposing yourself to experts who are using words in interesting and clever ways. Ways that you, as the reader, can understand and capture the information.
“Writing is the ultimate form of communication because it passes though time” – Neil deGrasse Tyson
You can talk to someone 100 years from now when they read your writing.
So what are you waiting for? There is no time like the present to pick up the pen, pencil, iPad or keyboard and start writing. Arranging your thoughts and ideas with words. Perhaps with the aim of sharing those words with others or perhaps not.
The 30 day writing challenge
When did your journey of writing begin? Is writing a forgotten past-time or just something you do when you have some free time?
The 30 day writing challenge was developed to help people write consistently. Find the time daily to write. Reaching for those words that will organise your thoughts and ideas.
It wasn’t specifically designed for ‘wannabe’ or professional writers. It was designed for the average ‘you or I’ to make writing daily doable. Chunk it down into smaller pieces, building the habit and finding the continued joy in writing.
Whether it is for your business, a presentation or project you are working on or just for reflection, making writing part of your daily routine is powerful. A side benefit is that you become articulate in your thinking because, guess what, you’ve written it down before. You’ve thought about what words to use to describe something. You’ve thought and written down an approach, the evidence, the steps, the possible obstacles, all that is swirling around in your mind – you have words for. And they are in the written word.
Whether that be in the form of a poem, a checklist, a journal entry, a pitch, a short or long story, a procedure, a process you have written words down.
That is the goal of the 30 day writing challenge. To get you in the habit of writing down and putting words together that explain your ideas or thoughts.
I’ve done my research and I encourage you to do the same, but I know (at the time of me writing this) that this is the most affordable writing boot camp you will find.
For a little over $1 per day you will receive one email per day, for 30 days. Each email prompts you to test out different places, times and scenarios where you can get your words out. We’ve included a motivation piece, because who doesn’t like a good quote, and an exercise for you to complete.
The aim is for you to write 10,000 words in 30 days. However, the real goal is to make writing a part of your daily routine. To fall in love with writing again and being able to look back after 30 days and see what you have accomplished.
So whether you are starting or in the middle of writing a book, or want to chip away daily at writing down your thoughts and ideas this writing challenge is for you.
