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4 Paradigm Shifts That Will Make You a Better Writer
1. Just start
When I first heard about Medium in October 2017, I was excited. That night after roasting s’mores around the campfire, I lay in my tent furiously typing out a list of article ideas on my phone.
The next week I began reading on Medium but was too afraid to write.
I consumed endlessly without contributing.
While I did learn a lot from reading, nothing compared to the growth I experienced once I jumped in and began writing.
After months of reading only, I was finally getting serious about starting. I cold emailed Niklas Göke, who I had been following for a while, and asked for some tips for beginners.
He told me to “just begin,” so I did. Even though I was afraid. Even though I thought I had no authority.
Nine months and hundreds of articles later, I can say that I still have to follow this advice every day. Every article I write I commit to just begin, and then I do.
You wouldn’t read and watch videos of basketball players to get good at basketball. Writing is the same way. You’re not going to get good at writing by reading about it alone.
The surest way to become a better writer is to write.
