Writing Is Thinking

From Paul Graham’s latest essay, “The Need to Read“:

… writing is not just a way to convey ideas, but also a way to have them.

A good writer doesn’t just think, and then write down what he thought, as a sort of transcript. A good writer will almost always discover new things in the process of writing. And there is, as far as I know, no substitute for this kind of discovery. Talking about your ideas with other people is a good way to develop them. But even after doing this, you’ll find you still discover new things when you sit down to write. There is a kind of thinking that can only be done by writing.

I haven’t been writing and it shows in my thinking; short, fitful, and halting attempts to grapple with ideas.

While I have struggled with the momentum of putting thoughts into words, I have been enjoying the long form writing on offer at Substack. It’s a stretch goal but as I try to get going again, I’d love to be a part of that ecosystem. Substack feels like an anti-twitter; the content is long form, well thought out, and focused. These qualities permeate the disparate interests I’m drawn to – whether I’m reading Common Sense, Declarative Statements, or Huddle Up, it’s the sort of writing that you can fill up a coffee cup and sit back and enjoy.

For the moment, however, the goal will be small. To write, to think – again.

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