Write Anything

One of my heroes, Scott Ginsberg, has a lot to say about writing. In his view, "writing is the basis of all wealth". I can see his argument, but to some folks, the idea of writing just seems impossible.

In talking with people about their web presence, I often recommend that they start a blog and write in it regularly or even write an article or two for a newsletter or e-zine. To which they laugh and protest, "but what would I write about?"

I think if they stopped for a moment or two, they could come up with a year's worth of articles without too much of a stretch.

Write about:

• ... your job or business. You could probably come up with fifteen things about your business which would surprise and inform and audience. I don't care if you think your business is patently obvious to everyone, there are aspects of it which are complete mysteries to those outside.
• ... doing your job or running your business. What are some of the challenges you faced today? Change the names to protect the guilty, but you might inspire others with your solutions to the common problems we all face.
• ... your passions. What hobbies or pastimes have your attention? What books do you read? What movies do you see? What were the difficulties with the last quilt you made?
• ... your travels. If you are out on the road a lot, what recommendations would you have for the rest of us? What's the best Indian restaurant in Toronto? Which tour would you recommend to see whales in Hawaii?
• ... the random thoughts you have throughout the day. Some of the best bloggers write about the signs they see and how they think it reflects on aspects of customer service. And it's interesting!

There are a variety of reasons to write, but for me, at the end of the day, it becomes a record of my thoughts and actions, my fears and beliefs. It's the living record of my life.

And if it isn't written down, it never happened.

So, what was the last thing you wrote?