Writing lessons and mistakes
- Slow down, life ahead: I initially mixed two related but different concepts (being present and being efficient) in the draft, so the flow and the list at the end felt weird. I did the hard thing of cutting the parts about being efficient. Also, I didn’t want a numbered listicle, so I used a paragraphs with a bolded short phrase for each point, inspired by Ryan Holiday’s articles.
- The odd shapes of work: I practiced writing coherently on two levels. One, the entire newsletter, from the main essay to my commonplace notes to the interesting links, is around a single theme. Two, I tried to make the main essay flow well without having to resort to section headings to break it into smaller pieces. Also, I had used a bullet list for my experiences, which felt like poor form and cheating because I didn't need as many connecting words. Inspired by Henrik Karlsson's article, I rewrote my experiences as several paragraphs.
- The one habit that keeps me grounded: Instead of just talking about my experience with exercising, I wanted to elevate it to something bigger (because it is!). I learned this from Ryan Holiday's article. Also, writing the newsletter’s introduction helped me appreciate my new favorite running route, the cafe, and coffee with my wife.
- Personal website fever: In earlier drafts, I was merely reporting what I did with Claude Code without providing any opinions or judgments. To make it more persuasive, I tried adding a point of view (that you should own a personal website because Claude Code has made it a lot easier).
- Fernsage launch: The initial draft felt too much like a product launch email stating facts (what it is, how to use it, examples) rather than a persuasive essay. I was describing the product and feature factually, instead of why it’s built that way (my product philosophy) and how I used it. Adding the meaning of “Fernsage” the name felt like a good “crafty” touch.
- Quitting social media: The conclusion feels rather weak because I said I don’t know if I can build a business without social media. A stronger essay might show how it is possible. The sudden pivot back to living a full life feels abrupt, too.
- Get a real life: In an attempt to add quotes, I made the flow bad. And I tried to fit in too many quotes for the sake of having quotes.