A major reason for even starting this blog was to get better at writing. Converting thoughts to spoken word feels very natural. It’s something we do every day, and we do it directly to a person, which gives us a tight feedback loop on what parts work, and which parts suck.

Writing words down is a whole new kettle of fish. The feedback loop is massive, it’s almost totally non-existent. I’m not going to end up rewriting a post after finishing it. There is no “second chance”, like how you can refine a story over time. These posts are a result of conversations I have with myself a thousand times over. First in my head as I come up with the idea, then on my computer as I type and tweak every sentence over and over again. So in theory these should be the most fine tuned conversations ever… right? Well, at this stage they certainly aren’t, but I’m getting a bit better each time. Even though it still takes me a long time, the process is really enjoyable.

I think of the process as helping readers find the diamonds in my idea mine. A willing reader wants to get to my “idea diamonds”, and I’m trying to make their journey as smooth as possible. Before I can express my thoughts efficiently, I dig myself plenty of long, winding, waste of fucking time paths. Often these paths that don’t go anywhere at all. Overtime I’m making these paths more efficient, but a bit of blood is going into the process.

It’s so worth it though. I can’t wait to come back to these posts a few years from now. What the hell was Andy like back then? And thankfully at the moment, there aren’t many people suffering at the hands of these posts. It gives me space to practice and breath without many people watching. So, if you aren’t reading, then thanks for giving me some space to get better. And if you are reading, then thanks for taking the time to experience my little plop of words.

If you’ve got any advice then feel free to leave me a comment below.

Much love.