A few weeks ago, I read something that resonated with me. It was about the importance of writing and how it can literally shape your thoughts and provide the much needed clarity in the noise and distractions that we live in today. I mostly refrained from writing in the past because I thought "this is not something groundbreaking or worth sharing". But then I realized that I was only thinking of how the experts in the field would judge my writing! I realized that there are many people who are just starting out or are looking for a different perspective or a twist on a topic and would find this actually useful.
The trick I use to get over this mental block and get started is to go over the common questions that you get asked family members and people outside of my field. Stuff like, "What is an LLM?" or "How does a neural network work?" or "What is the difference between AI and ML?". These quesionts form a very solid list of ideas to start writing about even if there are great books and material already out there that clearly explain this.
Note that, if you are in the echo chamber of the technical discussions on the field, you tend to forget that most of the people out there have no idea what AI actually is or how it works.
A few habits that I am using in writing
1. Write for yourself
Document your journey, your thoughts, stuff that you learned about today, or even read.
2. Set a schedule
Just like any other habit, this needs to be practiced regularly.
3. Timebox edits
First Draft: No Edits: Focus solely on getting your thoughts down. Allow yourself to write freely without judging the quality. This is where your creativity flows best. Second Draft: Quick Edits: After finishing the first draft, set a specific time limit (e.g., 15 minutes) for light edits. Don’t aim for perfection, just clarity and coherence. Once the time is up, stop editing.
4. Growth mindset
Shift Your Mindset: Understand that perfection is unattainable. Instead of aiming for flawless posts, focus on learning and improving over time. Each post is a step in your writing journey.
Bonus: Getting a mechanical keyboard can definitely make the experience more enjoyagble. I am usine the keychron v2.