I don’t write (primarily) so people will read what I have written. Most of the time, I write to clarify my own thoughts.
Usually, there has been a concept or theory or idea rattling around in my head for a while. I have discussed it with several people. Over time, I have refined my verbal presentation.
Even after talking about it, I often feel the concept deserves more focused attention. I need to be sure I understand and agree with it.
This is the right moment to pause and say, I don’t always agree with myself. Sometimes I form a theory that I later find lacking, without proper logic, or in some way malformed. Writing helps me either alter or discard it.
I begin the writing, not when I have it all clear in my mind, but rather when I don’t. When I am struggling to articulate something or failing to find the right words and illustrations.
I often type a sentence, delete it, start over, and type the same thought in a different way. I change the word and sentence order. I use a thesaurus to find alternatives.
The first draft is never right. Even if I have expressed similar thoughts in conversation, they always need refinement. Words in print require even more precision.
When I’m talking, I can’t always pause to examine what I just said. The words float through the air and then disappear. While I try hard to choose each word carefully, I can’t always remember what I chose. Writing provides a reference. It allows me to scrutinize every detail – after the fact.
Thoughts organized on a page are not always correct. They don’t always reflect exactly what we believe. They can be just as flawed as our speech. But writing gives us a chance. It provides an opportunity to get it right.
We can read and reread, write and rewrite, edit and alter and update. We can rethink, reexamine, and rearticulate. Speech, particularly when time-constrained, may not provide these opportunities.
Serious people should write. Leaders should write. Those who want to have an influence should write. Writing tethers thinking to something concrete. Without it, our ideas may drift away and be lost.