Spot on. Oregon's poet laureate, William Stafford, is known to have said (in the context of grading writing): lower the standards so the writing can happen.
Great stuff. I used to set this as homework for writers: For 30 days write 50 words a day. Just enough to encourage you to start a daily writing habit. It’s more important you try every day than do a lot. That’s how I learnt to jump hurdles as a kid. Set the bar low enough that you can step over it. Then keep raising the bar.
Yeah! I remember reading Atomic Habits and I think he wrote that he had a client or friend who went to the gym for 1 minute more per day until they were able to stay there for an hour or so. They started at going to the gym for 1 minute 😆. Sounds ridiculous, but it worked for him.
I've done that floor thing often enough, but in a stall on a manure- and piss-covered matt of straw with dried thistles and leftover thorny bits of blackberry vines that the goats decided not to eat. The view isn't bad, really.
Loved this. I write daily, but I don't always publish daily. I don't want my readers to have high expectations of reading my writing everyday.
Does this method still work? If the daily publishing is small - such as Notes? And does it have to be on one platform? That's my biggest challenge - where to publish the writing.
Yes! Publishing daily Notes is the best way to go to start being consistent. Takes me about 15-20 minutes to write a Note. I would say publish everything here. Kristina God and Sinem Günel are great at teaching how to write on Medium as well. I would recommend giving them a follow.
I do the same. The daily writing happens but not on the same platform and sometimes just for me. Feels like scattering efforts yet grateful when I let the words come out.
"Lower your expectations to the dirt-crusted floor" is quite catchy, Tom :)
I think you or Michael Simmons used the word "incubator" to describe the Substack Campire community, and that seems spot-on: beginning writers can benefit from special, growth-inducing conditions in order to gain strength for standing on their own. I already miss having that.
I love the start on the “dirt-crusted floor” imagery. There might be disgusting stuff on the floor, but it’s also the foundation on which we walk and eventually run. It’s a great place to build from.
I do wonder how, as a writer, you found utility on LinkedIn. I have a lot of colleagues on the entrepreneurial side of my job that find tremendous success on the platform, but I struggle to find use for it as a writer. I’m sure I’m just not taking the right angle!
Hey Rich! I used to get really good traction on my more personal posts there, but not much anymore. I was able to stick around for a while because of how much they gassed up personal posts for a while in the algorithm. That doesn't happen too much anymore.
Thank you, Tom, for yet another humble and yet spirited writing for all of us. I will say, from the point of view of someone who has been a low income person for a very long time, I have zero expectations of anything.Glad for a roof over my head and food on my table (and yes, I write about the poor, sometimes.) I am truly grateful that anyone at all, reads what I write. I do have a temperament for words but one cannot force others to "get" you and for that fact, I am used to being down near the rug, so to speak. I simply write for my own heart and let the chips fall. My writing coach is Holy Spirit Himself and He not only helps me "RELAX, W.E.W!!", He makes me laugh, which lightens my often heavy soul. I am slowly seeing my subscriber base grow, I'll be darned! I just bless each person and keep on writin'. I will say, from my cantankerous self, I am "allergic" to "accountable." I know when I have missed it and make adjustments myself. Grrrr.... Grateful to be among this brilliant group of writers!!!!!!! W.E.W.
I love hearing about your process Tom. It encourages me like nothing else has.
When I posted my first truly vulnerable writing you were right there cheering me on. Thank you for that, and for continuing to be real every single day.
Well said Tom. It's not pretty or sexy to say "lower your expectations" but it works. Back when I was a nutrition coach, we'd put plans together that seemed "almost too easy" because that's what we need to slide the scales of consistency into our favor. It it's a test, or struggle, to maintain? It's never going to be maintained.
I really like how you break things down and make sharing posts approachable. You're encouraging and keep it simple. I'm especially interested in your comments about LinkedIn where I've had a long business career and over 1,200 followers vs. Substack where I'm currently at 62. My Substack newsletter launches on Friday so the goal is to increase that number. I don't think of LinkedIn as great for writers but maybe I can change that, at least for me. :-)
I took your 6 day class and found some good and repeatable advice. Now it's time for me to execute.
Thank you for both being a guide and a cheerleader!
Spot on. Oregon's poet laureate, William Stafford, is known to have said (in the context of grading writing): lower the standards so the writing can happen.
Wow I really love that quote Neva. Thank you. I'll have to look up William Stafford
This is so good! It’s going to sit on my desk, as a daily (hourly?) reminder 😁
Anyone who drops down to the floor to check it out might as well do 10 pushups and get some blood flowing!
It's great advice to just get going and do the work. Steven Pressfield has a lot to say on the same topic about beating resistance.
I love that advice. Use it myself sometimes.
You can’t go wrong with doing push ups anytime 😅
Great stuff. I used to set this as homework for writers: For 30 days write 50 words a day. Just enough to encourage you to start a daily writing habit. It’s more important you try every day than do a lot. That’s how I learnt to jump hurdles as a kid. Set the bar low enough that you can step over it. Then keep raising the bar.
Yeah! I remember reading Atomic Habits and I think he wrote that he had a client or friend who went to the gym for 1 minute more per day until they were able to stay there for an hour or so. They started at going to the gym for 1 minute 😆. Sounds ridiculous, but it worked for him.
I've done that floor thing often enough, but in a stall on a manure- and piss-covered matt of straw with dried thistles and leftover thorny bits of blackberry vines that the goats decided not to eat. The view isn't bad, really.
😆😆
Loved this. I write daily, but I don't always publish daily. I don't want my readers to have high expectations of reading my writing everyday.
Does this method still work? If the daily publishing is small - such as Notes? And does it have to be on one platform? That's my biggest challenge - where to publish the writing.
Yes! Publishing daily Notes is the best way to go to start being consistent. Takes me about 15-20 minutes to write a Note. I would say publish everything here. Kristina God and Sinem Günel are great at teaching how to write on Medium as well. I would recommend giving them a follow.
I do the same. The daily writing happens but not on the same platform and sometimes just for me. Feels like scattering efforts yet grateful when I let the words come out.
"Lower your expectations to the dirt-crusted floor" is quite catchy, Tom :)
I think you or Michael Simmons used the word "incubator" to describe the Substack Campire community, and that seems spot-on: beginning writers can benefit from special, growth-inducing conditions in order to gain strength for standing on their own. I already miss having that.
I think your article can be summed up with one word you used:
BELIEVING.
Cheers to thinking that it *can* happen.
And writing until it *does.*
I love the start on the “dirt-crusted floor” imagery. There might be disgusting stuff on the floor, but it’s also the foundation on which we walk and eventually run. It’s a great place to build from.
I do wonder how, as a writer, you found utility on LinkedIn. I have a lot of colleagues on the entrepreneurial side of my job that find tremendous success on the platform, but I struggle to find use for it as a writer. I’m sure I’m just not taking the right angle!
Hey Rich! I used to get really good traction on my more personal posts there, but not much anymore. I was able to stick around for a while because of how much they gassed up personal posts for a while in the algorithm. That doesn't happen too much anymore.
Yeah, that's my experience as well. Much happier here on Substack!
Thank you, Tom, for yet another humble and yet spirited writing for all of us. I will say, from the point of view of someone who has been a low income person for a very long time, I have zero expectations of anything.Glad for a roof over my head and food on my table (and yes, I write about the poor, sometimes.) I am truly grateful that anyone at all, reads what I write. I do have a temperament for words but one cannot force others to "get" you and for that fact, I am used to being down near the rug, so to speak. I simply write for my own heart and let the chips fall. My writing coach is Holy Spirit Himself and He not only helps me "RELAX, W.E.W!!", He makes me laugh, which lightens my often heavy soul. I am slowly seeing my subscriber base grow, I'll be darned! I just bless each person and keep on writin'. I will say, from my cantankerous self, I am "allergic" to "accountable." I know when I have missed it and make adjustments myself. Grrrr.... Grateful to be among this brilliant group of writers!!!!!!! W.E.W.
Im currently new at writing and working on being more consistent and staying positive
I love hearing about your process Tom. It encourages me like nothing else has.
When I posted my first truly vulnerable writing you were right there cheering me on. Thank you for that, and for continuing to be real every single day.
Hey Teyani! I love to hear this. :) Thanks for being so diligent and reading my work from time to time. I appreciate you a lot.
Well said Tom. It's not pretty or sexy to say "lower your expectations" but it works. Back when I was a nutrition coach, we'd put plans together that seemed "almost too easy" because that's what we need to slide the scales of consistency into our favor. It it's a test, or struggle, to maintain? It's never going to be maintained.
Great advice as always, Tom. I laughed out loud at the joke about post titles. Do you have any specific content about how best to name posts?!
Hey Emma! Here's a couple articles I like: https://medium.com/blogging-mastery/a-2-minute-trick-to-write-better-headlines-3b3a8a602ae6 https://tomkuegler.medium.com/3-headline-tricks-the-best-writers-on-medium-use-feb74e3053fa
They're a little old but they will help.
That’s so kind of you, thank you! 🙏
I really like how you break things down and make sharing posts approachable. You're encouraging and keep it simple. I'm especially interested in your comments about LinkedIn where I've had a long business career and over 1,200 followers vs. Substack where I'm currently at 62. My Substack newsletter launches on Friday so the goal is to increase that number. I don't think of LinkedIn as great for writers but maybe I can change that, at least for me. :-)
I took your 6 day class and found some good and repeatable advice. Now it's time for me to execute.
Thank you for both being a guide and a cheerleader!
Awesome to hear Bruce! Send me a DM anytime if you have questions about anything. :)
Such relatable advice - thanks Tom!
I am slowly starting to see more traction.
I like your change in attitude.