This is a great post! I love the concept of us being our framework. Certain copywriting methods are helpful, but wouldn't it be something if we were all our own "algorithm" in the long run by being ourselves?
I didn't show up as myself initially and I suffered dearly for it, but now I'm determined to Write and do what I think and do what I think is best thank you. Patience and identityy friend.
Thanks for your comment. How did you suffer Ral? Thank you for your honesty - it helps others and shows us that we are all experimenting in this game of being true to ourselves. Patience and identity-building = YAS!
Ral, I think it's normal not to show up as yourself initially, so give yourself a break.
In every creative domain, whether it's writing or painting or fashion or music, students start with "first choruses"—the proven patterns laid down by accomplished practitioners. So in painting, for example, students start with representation and colour theory. In music it's certain proven chords, rhythms and beats.
If you look at painters who revolutionised the domain—from Picasso to Monet to Dali—you'll see that their earliest work mimicked the old masters. They spent hours trying to paint like other people. And only once they got a solid grasp of first choruses could they deviate, innovate, and discover "themselves."
Writing's no different. Writing's first choruses are things like narrative structures, character archetypes, familiar patterns of dialogue, metaphors and similes, common sentence structures and rhythms, information hierarchies, etc etc.
This doesn't get spoken about enough on Substack IMO, but one of the best things we can do to become better writers is practice writing like accomplished writers. By copying their work (ideally by hand), we get to inhabit their minds, see the aesthetic decisions they made, and build up our own awareness of how to write like them.
This is the way to eventually develop our own voice and style. It takes time obvs
Brilliant post, thank you. I just posted on here yesterday. First time in over a year. I also mention mindset being everything. I know this, yet I STILL get in my own way. I'd really appreciate it if you could find the time to give my post a read. I'm very green on here, so learning as I go.
Welcome Susie! Happy you are here. Please share and care btw! What made you come here to share and care? As you say, it is ALL ABOUT MINDSET! Don’t stand in your own way anymore.
Well, I show up. Consistently for 64 weeks so far. Am I myself? I presume so. I just talk about my journey to try to get my memoir finished and published and boy, what a minefield that is. I identify with signing up to too many things. Always something seems to lure me with "the answer". I was enjoying your post until you added the sales pitch at the end. I will succeed (like you did) if I ..... (fill in the blanks and sign up here). Boy, Substack is full of gurus.
When you say you “presume” you are being yourself, what do you mean exactly? Are you new to writing online? That takes some time to find your voice… at least, that is what I have learnt, as we go through many phases in our lives, but writing has always been my tool to navigate through and shine a light for others.
Stop signing up for a lot. There is so much noise, as I said.
Ofc, both of us are here to write, share, but also invite you to our communities and offer you our services, so why wouldnt we include a sales pitch? He is also making a living from writing and helping YOU write, so please dont take this as a negative.
We are all our own gurus. Lean into it and you will shine.
As a game designer, I read and comment on a lot of other gamers and game designers blogs here. I want to learn as much as possible from others, even if I’ve been working on my game since 2019.
This is a great post! I love the concept of us being our framework. Certain copywriting methods are helpful, but wouldn't it be something if we were all our own "algorithm" in the long run by being ourselves?
It sure would be!
Matt, you should write about us being our own algorithms—that's a surprising and fresh take, I like it
Thank you for the suggestion Harrison! I'll add it to my list of content ideas.
Yeah you totally should Matt!
I didn't show up as myself initially and I suffered dearly for it, but now I'm determined to Write and do what I think and do what I think is best thank you. Patience and identityy friend.
Thanks for your comment. How did you suffer Ral? Thank you for your honesty - it helps others and shows us that we are all experimenting in this game of being true to ourselves. Patience and identity-building = YAS!
Ral, I think it's normal not to show up as yourself initially, so give yourself a break.
In every creative domain, whether it's writing or painting or fashion or music, students start with "first choruses"—the proven patterns laid down by accomplished practitioners. So in painting, for example, students start with representation and colour theory. In music it's certain proven chords, rhythms and beats.
If you look at painters who revolutionised the domain—from Picasso to Monet to Dali—you'll see that their earliest work mimicked the old masters. They spent hours trying to paint like other people. And only once they got a solid grasp of first choruses could they deviate, innovate, and discover "themselves."
Writing's no different. Writing's first choruses are things like narrative structures, character archetypes, familiar patterns of dialogue, metaphors and similes, common sentence structures and rhythms, information hierarchies, etc etc.
This doesn't get spoken about enough on Substack IMO, but one of the best things we can do to become better writers is practice writing like accomplished writers. By copying their work (ideally by hand), we get to inhabit their minds, see the aesthetic decisions they made, and build up our own awareness of how to write like them.
This is the way to eventually develop our own voice and style. It takes time obvs
Thanks for the valuable advice. Working on finding myself.
Thanks for your comment, Kim. How are you finding yourself right now in your life?
Brilliant post, thank you. I just posted on here yesterday. First time in over a year. I also mention mindset being everything. I know this, yet I STILL get in my own way. I'd really appreciate it if you could find the time to give my post a read. I'm very green on here, so learning as I go.
Welcome Susie! Happy you are here. Please share and care btw! What made you come here to share and care? As you say, it is ALL ABOUT MINDSET! Don’t stand in your own way anymore.
Well, I show up. Consistently for 64 weeks so far. Am I myself? I presume so. I just talk about my journey to try to get my memoir finished and published and boy, what a minefield that is. I identify with signing up to too many things. Always something seems to lure me with "the answer". I was enjoying your post until you added the sales pitch at the end. I will succeed (like you did) if I ..... (fill in the blanks and sign up here). Boy, Substack is full of gurus.
Hey Rose, thanks for reading and your comment.
When you say you “presume” you are being yourself, what do you mean exactly? Are you new to writing online? That takes some time to find your voice… at least, that is what I have learnt, as we go through many phases in our lives, but writing has always been my tool to navigate through and shine a light for others.
Stop signing up for a lot. There is so much noise, as I said.
Ofc, both of us are here to write, share, but also invite you to our communities and offer you our services, so why wouldnt we include a sales pitch? He is also making a living from writing and helping YOU write, so please dont take this as a negative.
We are all our own gurus. Lean into it and you will shine.
A great read.
As a game designer, I read and comment on a lot of other gamers and game designers blogs here. I want to learn as much as possible from others, even if I’ve been working on my game since 2019.
There’s always other perspectives.
You are your framework.
Yes, that is going on the list of affirmations.