Why write? While everyone understands the value of reading, the benefits of writing are often overlooked. It’s only when you try to write about a topic that you realise you didn’t know it as well as you thought. Writing forces you to turn your thoughts into words, often revealing that your ideas are unclear, incomplete, or even contradictory.
Writing is a process. The first draft, written quickly, captures your thoughts and exposes gaps in your understanding. Most of your time should be spent revising and refining, gradually making the topic coherent and complete. Surprisingly, most of your ideas will occur after you begin writing. Writing externalises your thoughts and helps you reflect more deeply. While it doesn’t guarantee you’re correct, it does sharpen your understanding.
Writing requires more precision and structure than reading or speaking. As Richard Feynman said, “If you want to master something, teach it”. In a sense, writing is like teaching yourself, it’s one of the best ways to learn. It’s a tool for self-improvement, encouraging growth through reflection, like having a conversation with yourself.
Writing also creates a permanent record of your thoughts, which you can revisit, refine, and build upon. Sharing your writing allows you to test your ideas in the real world, creating a feedback loop for new perspectives and insights. Writing not only strengthens your ideas, but also improves your ability to communicate them.