I didn't expect writing to stretch me like this

3 ways writing online has changed me

Photo by Josh Hild on Unsplash

Writing is not just about writing.

When starting out, you might think writing is about crafting your words and sentences.

Choosing the right ones.

Leaving out the excess.

But what you find after a while with a daily writing habit is that words are not the full story.

Yes, words are what you’re working with as you write.

But the writing process is always working on you, even when you’re not writing.

It changes how you show up. It changes where your attention goes. It changes who you become.

Here are a few ways writing changes my day.

Insights Bombard

As a writer, you notice how many ideas your brain is churning out.

Now, depending on who you ask, we each have around 6,000 (some say 60,000) thoughts a day.

They’re the mundane, “Did I remember to feed the cat this morning?”

Or the tad deeper, “Is this job taking me where I want to be in five years?”

But when you know you’ll be writing something this week, you pay more attention to your thoughts.

You might be listening to the radio and think, “That’s a great story for my post. I must catch the speaker’s name and credentials.”

Or, when reading a book, “That sentence thrills me. How did she do that?”

Or, you suddenly see connections and metaphors you’d missed before. “This … is exactly like that …!”

These ideas pile in on you.

You know that if you don’t catch and record them pronto, they may just whizz by.

And never pass your way again.

In her book Big Magic, Elizabeth Gilbert tells a story about the elusive nature of ideas.

She describes how great ideas have a life of their own. They’re out there, circulating. They're looking for someone to value them enough to create something from them.

And if you aren’t quick to act on them when they visit you, you might regret it.

Because someone paying more attention could pick up the idea, put in the time, and run with it.

Which is exactly what happened to her.

Elizabeth had a (pretty unique-sounding) idea for a novel.

It was about a middle-aged spinster from Minnesota. She falls in love with a man involved in a dodgy business in the Amazon jungle. The plot involved industrial espionage, the Amazon wilderness, and a failed business venture.

She made a start on the book but had to leave the writing for several years.

Later, she met and became friends with fellow author, Ann Patchett. They talked about their current work. Ann described the plot, characters, and setting of her new novel. It was uncannily similar to the one Gilbert had planned.

But Ann had this novel underway. Too late for Elizabeth now.

The habit I’ve adopted from this is:

• Have a trusty notebook or Notes app handy at all times.

• Jot down the idea as fully as you can right away.

• Keep this notebook in clear view.

• Remember to follow up on the ideas.

Fixit Brain Appears

It may be related to the free flow of ideas you’re noticing as a writer. It's become obvious that creative ideas are everywhere.

So if you see a problem, you think about how you can solve it.

You’ve taken on the attitude that nothing’s unfixable.

So, when your dishwasher keeps filling with water, you don't despair. You know that someone, somewhere, knows what’s wrong and which part to replace. And sure enough, they do. And you do find a way to fix it.

You realize that the same goes for mental or emotional hurdles. They are crushing problems for some. But they can be overcome.

There’s a way through here.

It’s a matter of searching and asking around until you’re satisfied you’ve found a workable answer.

And, much like the writing process itself, you take a few steps, pause, and consider your next one.

There's a knack to problem-solving. You need an orderly brain, structured logical thinking, and the ability to innovate.

The act of writing and publishing (sharing your work is key) draws on similar skills.

And I see them growing in my life as I continue to write.

Words Astound You

You see how the phrasing of words can make you soar.

Their power to transform.

To take you somewhere new.

Or somewhere old that you’d forgotten.

How words can swiftly change your feelings.

A few marks on a page can leave you sobbing. Or scared.

Australian author Hannah Kent astounds you on most pages of her book, “Devotion.”

She describes longing, “My heart was a hand reaching.”

And you feel her imagery stopping you from reading on, so you can linger and digest this.

Here are a few select lines from the book:

The day was wide-bellied with sky.

I sang as though my voice were a ribbon, as though it were something I might later find my way home by.

There was a time when wakefulness wound my thoughts into wire.

Reading great writing (whether poetry, fiction, or non-fiction) stretches you. You see how painting a picture makes the words stick more.

How the melody and rhythm of the words make them easy to read.

And what a powerful tool you wield to help people feel again.

It makes you marvel at what words can do.

And as a writer, it inspires you to hone your craft.

To bring more nuance to your thinking and observation.

And stretch others too.

Please share in the comments any transforming experiences you’ve had from writing (or reading).

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