Writing online catapulted me from unemployable to a 6-figure biz owner.
But the first years were damn hard.
The reason? Nobody was reading my stuff. I keep wrestling with myself to stay consistent. So hard that I sometimes felt like a masochist.
But it doesn’t have to be that way.
Because there’s a way to grow (and improve) that’s actually fun.
Build your own idea refinery
Writing is a brutal mirror of what’s in your mind.
Ever try explaining a complicated concept to someone and find yourself stumbling over words? That’s because you don’t fully understand it. Writing forces you to sharpen those vague thoughts into precise arrows of understanding.
When you write, you can craft, tinker, and adjust without the looming dread of public scrutiny. This refinement is where you can cook up unique philosophies, ideologies, and viewpoints that later become your keys to standing out in a crowded niche.
I constantly find myself becoming better at explaining what I do by simply writing about it.
Instead of thinking that you know, start writing about it. You’ll soon discover how powerful it is.
Writing is thinking.
Turn your keyboard into a joystick
Too many people take content creation too seriously.
Ever played a game just for the high score? It’s a one-way ticket to Burnoutville. Writing isn’t just a means to an end; it’s a journey, a game you play for the sheer thrill of putting words together.
Forget the metrics, the vanity stats, the likes, and the claps for a minute.
Because while you’re hung up on those, you’re missing the actual fun part—the act of creating.
Remember finger painting as a kid? Did you care about an audience then? No, you just slopped color all over that paper like it owed you money.
Now, I get it. Making money is bloody important. And that’s why I always say that starting to write online along your 9–5 is the best decision you can make.
The reason? Your basic expenses are already covered.
That’s why picking a content format you enjoy is a non-negotiable part of being consistent.
Don’t jump on a platform because Guru X told you so. Explore first and see if you enjoy creating content in that specific format first.
Take pleasure in the craft itself, and you’ll find that writing isn’t a chore. It’s your own personal playground.
Spice up the process
Writing can be boring.
It sometimes feels like running on a treadmill. (Don’t ask me how I know.)
But the good thing about being your own boss is that you’re the one in charge of not letting your creativity die by typing.
So don’t make it a tedious calorie-burner. Spice it up.
I’m doing this all the time.
For instance, one week you could focus on writing killer headlines that would make even a nun click. The next week, it might be about mastering the art of the conclusion and making sure you’re not just fizzling out like a damp firework.
Injecting these mini-challenges keeps your neurons from forming a union and going on strike.
I try to come up with challenges every week to improve.
Deconstruct the content you’re creating, and then assign a challenge for each piece you need to create.
For long-form articles, this could be:
1- Headline
2- The subheader
3- Introduction
4- The main section
5- Conclusion
6- Images
Keep the game fresh with weekly challenges.
Use this writing cheat code
Viral writers have a dirty secret.
They’re ways to engineer your content to get read. So sometimes you just have to stop thinking.
It’s not always wise to come up with new ideas. Instead, look at what has already worked for you (or for others) in the past.
If one of your posts gets three comments and another gets none, guess what? You just hit a nerve, and I don’t mean the dental kind. A 300% increase in engagement isn’t a rounding error; it’s a signal.
We live in a world drowning in content, and yet, some pieces get shared like wildfire while others fade into digital obscurity.
You don’t have to reinvent the wheel. Check out what other creators in your field are doing. If they’re getting traction on a particular topic, don’t rip them off—put your own spin on it.
Look at your past posts. (And if you didn’t start writing yet, head over to the most famous creator in your industry.) Identify what got even a smidge more engagement than the rest.
Look at the ideas. Look at the formatting. Look at the hook. Then, produce more of that. Simple.
Look at the data.
Train your brain to write faster
There’s this idea that you need to write daily.
You really don’t.
Especially when you’re short on time, you probably find yourself missing your writing sessions.
Instead, batch your content together. I do this all the time.
It’s like meal prep, but for your brain. Instead of writing one article, write three in a row.
When you batch things together, you’re more effective. The reason? Your brain needs a heating period of around 20 minutes to perform at its best.
Different phases of writing require different mental states:
- Brainstorming is the mad scientist phase;
- actual writing is the artisan at work;
- editing is the ruthless butcher.
And batching allows you to stay in one mindset at a time, making you more efficient.
Final thoughts
This might sound stupid.
But here it is: Nobody’s reading your stuff until they start reading.
The key is to keep doing it long enough to finally get the attention you deserve.
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