Writer’s Overthinking — How To Get Unstuck?
Struggling to write an article and publish it online?
We all have plenty of ideas to write on. But we don’t believe all those were worthy of writing/sharing.
We reject most ideas assuming that it is silly or already told many times or it looks very obvious to all of your readers.
Next overthinking happens while you write.
Analysis Paralysis
is the inability to decide due to overthinking a problem.
This often happens when you’re dealing with too many variables and continually researching solutions, instead of taking action and making a decision.
The expectation of the outcome and the greedy appetite to get the most (max) rewards out of a single work make the deciding process hard.
You’re not writing a book. You’re writing in episodes. It is a process.
Online writing is a slow game — except the growth is exponential — if done right.
Don’t conclude the things even before trying.
Analyze the reaction, not the action
Instead of overthinking and analyzing all the probabilities of outcomes, I just started to put out the words.
Then wait a few days to analyze the reaction of my readers.
Analysis before action is just a prediction or estimation.
What comes after is the reality.
Analyze based on your reader’s responses rather than based on your preconceived opinion about them or the idea.
Perfection is the enemy of progress
Progress is the aim — even if it is at an iota level.
Perfect is a subjective state. What’s perfect for you, may not be for others.
You can never make a perfect story.
Accept your limitations and move on.
Just write. Hit publish when you’re satisfied.
Don’t try to please all the readers.
(I know )Half of my followers are going to read this.
99.99999% of Medium readers are going to appreciate something other than this story.
But 0.00001% is going to love this. I write for them.
You can’t create a viral story — every time.
You share a story. It becomes viral. Or it becomes one of your stories. That’s it.
Don’t think too much about how to make your story go viral.
Let them decide.
Put it out there. Let them make it a hit or look at it as a s*it.
You can’t represent all your readers.
You have NOT been rejected.
We all hate rejections. But the best part of being a writer is, you’ll never get rejected for just 1 story.
Only the stories are rejected — by readers.
So technically there’s no failure in writing. (except if you’re doing it for bread).
The result is always between the expected and unexpected.
Write as if you’re not motivated or demotivated by the rewards — like the number of views, claps, and engagements.
Don’t reject yourself when your ideas are rejected.
One action ends the misery of overthinking.
Write. This will end all your problems in writing.
So far it worked for me — every time.
Not convinced?
Write and publish.
You have options to choose if things go south,
Rewrite, Republish, Reuse the contents, Refine, and Rework, or even in the worst case delete it.
Every option leads to progress and improvement.
Forget the uncontrollable
The results of your writing are not in your hands.
You can control the content of the story. Focus on creating it.
Become blind to the happening that is not controllable. But learn your lessons from it.
Few words
Express, Don’t try to impress.
Express in a way people like to consume it.
Always analyze your writing after a few days with fresh eyes and how it was received by your readers.
Only 10 people read it? Be grateful and go for your next story.
1 Million read it? Be grateful and go for your next story.
Shortcuts are for short games. The process is for long games. There will be always ebb and flow.
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