Early Takeaways from The 22 Laws of Digital Writing

I read the 22 Laws of Digital Writing by Dickie Bush and Nicolas Cole this past week.

It believes people should practice their writing in public, using social platforms like Twitter or Medium. It believes they should do this by writing daily, short focused posts (atomic essays), and then using the feedback from data and comments to iterate and improve.

While I’m still processing it, here are my initial reactions:

• I’m not ready to give up my website quite yet. I like having a home base, where my writing is safe.
• My refusal may also be fear. By staying here, I have fewer eyes judging the work.
• However, I’ve seen people promoting longer posts on Twitter, so I think there is flexibility.
• I like atomic essays and publishing daily. I may do this.
• I like the advice on trying for clear titles vs. clever ones.
• The process of finding a structure that works is intriguing.
• I agree with writing for digital readers (skimmability and clear organization). I feel so overwhelmed by articles each day and I want to get to the point quickly.
• I need to learn to write for the reader more.
• Repeat your core narratives are interesting. These are the signature stories that add credibility to your narrative.
• Lastly, I think there is value in writing daily—but also taking time on your work and publishing sporadically can improve your writing. I’d like to do both.