Write When You're Mad

Catalyst stories will transform your approach as a writer.

➡️ Hate the thought of self-promotion? Same. That’s why I made Sharing Without The Cringe — a free guide to help you share your writing with confidence. Get it here.

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Don’t make major decisions when you’re angry.

I’m sure you’ll have heard that sort of advice before.

For the most part, it’s pretty solid. Don’t do anything you’ll regret when you’re mad. Or sad. Or tired. Or hungry.

The last one especially applies to me when I visit the shop. If I go when I’m hungry, I’ll end up buying a bunch of stuff I really don’t need.

But I think there’s one area of life where the “don’t act when you’re emotional” advice doesn’t apply: writing.

Catalyst stories change everything

One of

Eve Arnold 🧰

’s newsletter editions focused on this concept. She shared how she once wrote a story on Medium when she was furious, and explained what happened next:

“I remember pressing publish on that thing and feeling a sense of relief.

Finally, I’d said it.

Instead of sitting on the sidelines, I’d gave my real (realllllllly real), honest thoughts on a topic that I’d thought about most days for the last 4 years.

A few days later, it blew up.

It was that article that put me on the map.”

Eve described that story as the “catalyst” for her writing over the next few months. It completely changed how she approached her craft.

And I think it’s excellent advice (as usual).

When you’re boiling over with emotion, let it flow onto the page.

• If you’re mad, write about it.

• If you’re in despair, write about it.

• If you’re filled with joy, write about it.

But wait…

There’s one caveat to all this, though.

Don’t just spew your thoughts onto the internet like an angst-ridden teenager chasing heart emojis on Bebo in 2006.

Write your emotion-laden draft, then walk away.

Give yourself time to settle.

Then, when your mind’s cleared, come back to it. Read it again. Make necessary edits. Come up with a killer headline.

Then hit the publish button.

Let exasperation do its job

It can all be summed up like this: write when you’re mad, edit when you’re not.

As Eve says, “transforming your emotions into words is an incredible way to connect with your readers.”

Try it next time you’re exasperated about something in life.

See what happens.

❓ When was the last time you wrote when you were angry?

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Pobody’s Nerfect

I’m always amazed by how many mistakes I find in the writing of my favourite creators.

Take today, for instance.

I started to read a newsletter edition by a writer who’s far more successful and experienced than I am. Wildly successful, in fact.

And what did I find in the second sentence of the text?

A big ol’ spelling mistake.

It’s not the first time I’ve noticed it happening, either. There’s often at least a couple of pretty basic errors in every piece they write.

And guess what? I read everything they write anyway.

The power of authentic writing

Why am I continuously drawn to the work of my favourite creators, regardless of any mistakes in their writing?

Because their messages are more important than how they’re delivered.

Read that again. Slowly.

I care far more about what the writer’s trying to say than how they go about saying it. The effect’s more important than the execution.

Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

Don’t get me wrong – if a writer’s work’s constantly filled with errors, I’ll start to wonder how much they really care about it.

That’s when I’ll stop clicking into their stories or opening their emails. I may even be tempted to boop the unsubscribe or unfollow button.

But if I know my brain’s going to get a generous dose of insight by reading a writer’s words, I’ll read ’em all day long.

Are we human or are we dancer?

Humans will always be the best writers (sorry, ChatGPT), and humans make mistakes. Lots of them, every day.

But mistakes are often signals of authenticity.

And authenticity breeds trust.

I’ll take authentic writing with powerful core messages over perfection any day of the week.

❓ How important is perfect writing to you?

➡️ Don’t forget to grab Sharing Without The Cringe — a free guide to help you share your writing with confidence. Get it here.

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