On writing for yourself
I'm no stranger to writing online. Before I work as software engineer, I already wrote a blog about Apple, mostly about getting the most of your Apple device. Since then I always want to share what I learn or discover daily. Because English isn’t my first language, I’ve often hesitated to share my thoughts publicly. We know, writing is hard.
Now, I keep a collection of notes – everything from one-liner bash scripts and bug fixes to explorations of new frameworks like SwiftUI and VisionKit. These notes are primarily for my future self, so they're often brief and lacking in detailed explanations.
This blog, a little place on web hopefully can be a place to persevere my thoughts. And, if anyone else finds them helpful, that's a fantastic bonus!
If you find a post that isn't properly explained, sorry! I write mostly for myself or my future self.
I'll try to explain things as clearly as possible because, as the saying goes, 'writing is thinking.' While the original author escapes me, the sentiment resonates deeply. Clearly articulating and explaining a concept in your own words is the ultimate test of understanding.
I also found some great blog that write for yourself could benefit not only to improve thinking but also for career progression.
Jack Vanlightly on Write For Others But Mostly For Yourself:
The thing that surprised me after a while of doing technical writing was that writing wasn’t just about me explaining something to an audience, it was a tool to give rigor to my thinking
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The great thing about writing is that it uncovers all these areas that you thought you understood but don’t.
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Writing forced me to learn things to a higher standard like nothing else.
Jeff Goins on Three Ways to Write for Yourself:
Writing for yourself is the only way to begin writing, in my opinion. You take your audience into account in the editing and tweaking process. You start, though, by writing for you.
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What upsets you? What do you find frustrating? What really ticks you off? Take note of that. Free-write. Spend time exploring the why of this. Maybe this bothers other people, too.
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Solving your own problem gives your the experience and expertise to help others. You, essentially, write your own testimonial. This makes you more trustworthy. When you say, “I did this and it worked for me” as opposed to,”I think you should do this,” people are more inclined to listen.
I'm excited to see how much I'll write this year! Also if you found a topic interesting or resonates with you, I would love to talk about it. You can find me on X @adityadaniel.