Writing as Social Practice
How can we make writing into something that is a social practice, instead of a solitary one?
Create friendcatchers
Writing is a way of creating friendcatchers - a product or asset that you can use to draw in friends. State Transition has helped with this, as it has rekindled old friendships.
"Build the things that will allow you to engage an audience and improve it over time. Included in this: Friendcatchers. Friendcatchers are small, contained lists, essays or apps that solve resonant (emotional, relevant), tractable, underserved problems."
Tom Critchlow on learning in public
shoving writing in people's faces is cringe. Sharing things you're actively thinking about, working on, interested in, and passionate about is a great way to connect with interesting people. learn in public
Write for people, not an audience
Tom Critchlow on Riffs, not essays
- "Some notes on" vs. "The ultimate guide"
- References, connecting dots between links and other sources
- an anecdote
- A question inviting people to respond
- A deliberate list of 3-5 people you can send the post to.
What is something you could write, and feel comfortable DMing to someone you know, that they would find helpful? Write that. Design your riffs/essays/tweets/whatever to be sharable and useful by default.