Writing, Briefly

Paul Graham’s essay Writing, Briefly argues that writing is undervalued because “writing doesn’t just communicate ideas; it generates them.”

Writing Creates Ideas

Poor writers miss ideas that only emerge through the writing process itself. The act of writing is thinking.

The Iterative Process

Start rough and fast, then rewrite repeatedly. Graham spent 23 minutes writing and 44 minutes rewriting this very essay.

Practical Principles

• Cut ruthlessly and eliminate excess
• Adopt conversational language
• Expect 80% of ideas to emerge after starting
• Read work aloud to identify awkward phrasing
• Use simple vocabulary
• Publish online to maintain motivation through audience awareness

My Takeaway

First drafts are stepping stones, not failures. The real work happens in revision. Write to think, then rewrite to communicate.

What’s your writing process? I’d love to hear at persdre@gmail.com.