Some ideas on how to be a crazy productive writer

People continually ask me how I write and share so much each week.

I run four Subtack newsletters and another newsletter. I share two to three articles on Medium daily. I write books and mini-courses.

My fingers are (most days) in a sexy love affair with my keyboard. And I can’t seem to separate them.

Here’s a little clarity on why this is:

I made a commitment to be a writer.

This is different to thinking about writing or leaving writing until the ‘more important life stuff gets done first’.

Being a writer means writing and publishing right now, not next week. I write so I can fulfil my identity as an actual writer. The identity is like a mirage that becomes more solid by writing.

It’s a positive identity meets action meets identity loop.

I take advantage of my personality type.

As an INFJ on the Myers-Briggs scale, I have a considerable advantage over an ESTJ in simply being more naturally positioned to write.

I much prefer writing over speaking, for example. I am drawn to wanting to help people, which aligns well with non-fiction writing.

That’s not to say you can’t write if you have a different personality type. You can write as any type, and you can write a lot if you want to.

I just have a cheeky advantage because of how I’m wired.

I’m driven to be one of the most prolific creators on the planet.

For whatever reason, many of my role models are highly prolific creatives, like Ridley Scott, R.L Stine, Enid Blyton, Picasso, Asimov, and Stephen King (when he’s not blathering on Twitter).

I feel jacked up alive when I’m on a similar journey.

I have built up a lot of momentum.

Personality-type aside, the real mover in productive writing is momentum.

When you’ve been practising day in and day out, and your muscle memory is charged as a writer who writes, you’ll find that any subsequent writing comes far more easily.

I generally go deep rather than broad.

I focus on a handful of topics I’m curious about, but you’ll notice I don’t deviate a huge amount in the range of topics.

Perhaps that will change. But for now, I like to be thorough and know my topics (mindset, confidence, productivity, human behaviour, writing) inside out.

I find this limitation actually drives further creativity, and more output.

I view writing as a craft to master.

When you frame your work in the context of mastery, the focus is on the process and ongoing, incremental improvement.

This makes writing something to savour and develop curiosity in, rather than to ‘get through’ like some tedious chore.

The minute you view writing through the latter lens, you’ve lost.

I see writing as an opportunity to improve someone’s day, even slightly.

This may sound like ‘do-gooding’ to some, but if I knew my work wasn’t actually helping anyone, I’d have given up a long time ago.

Writing is therapy, and 95% of that therapy works because I get to focus on other people's challenges for an hour or two each day.

This is cathartic and brings a tremendous amount of meaning to my life. If you knew something gave life significant meaning, why would you do less of that?

I repost and re-use my writing and ideas quite often.

A fair chunk of what you see online is re-used material.

Not all, but certainly most of what you see on Medium has been repurposed, for example. The same applies to ideas. I’ve re-used the same idea hundreds of times, literally.

That’s why it comes more easily and quickly to me. I’m not having to be original all the time.

I only write about stuff I know helps remedy the bullshit I see unfolding in modern society.

There are many things in the modern age that bother me.

I’m willing to admit that. Because I know how the peeves and injustices I see, particularly in the realm of self-expression and censorship, add fuel to my need to write.

They simply do. I remind myself of what sucks on this planet, and I direct my energy to fighting this, like a crusader fights his cause.

This purpose-fuelled approach makes it far easier to write more.

I don’t take failed posts seriously.

I see many quit and write less than they can because they place a high, high value on posts NOT flopping.

They get very upset when their writing appears to fall flat. They use this lack of engagement to validate the idea that writing isn’t for them.

I’ve seen hundreds of my posts flop. I learned to take them less seriously. Because good posts and bad posts are both sources of helpful information.

Not only that, everything I write improves me as a writer.

Let go of individual posts needing to be perfect, post more, gather the data, and be a creative maniac.

Do share your tips and insights on productive writing below.

Alex

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