Insights on Tools

Welcome to Insight, my weekly newsletter where I dive into innovative writing techniques to help you improve your mindset, health, wealth, and skills.

Read time: 2.2 minutes

The Story:

I could not write to save my life.

I tried everything:

• Journaling daily.

• Doing morning pages.

• Using Notion for writing.

• Keeping a pocket notebook.

• Using Google Docs for writing.

• Using a voice recorder for writing.

I have more tools than Batman’s utility belt.

Everyone says you should journal daily. Others say to write 3 pages free form. Some say Notion is best for writing.

All because other say it’s good to do but I’d waste more time picking the tools & making them perfect rather than writing.

Until an insight hit me like baseball bat.

The Insight:

The writing tool isn’t about the tool, it’s about the result.

Anything that gets you writing is a writing tool.

• Notion

• Pen & Paper

• Google Docs

• Voice Recorder

• Group Brainstorming Session

The goal is to get started writing no matter what tool.

The Application:

Many authors have their own writing habits.

• Neil Gaiman & Stephen King write first drafts by hand first then type their works.

• Ernest Hemingway woke early and wrote in the mornings

• Brene Brown holds brainstorming sessions.
  Talks through her subject with others.
  Then compiles her notes later.

• Maya Angelou wrote in hotel rooms.

The key is to find what works for you.

The best way to do this is to get the lowest barrier to writing. For me, it was writing the ideas into my phone since I had it on hand. This builds the writing habit & helped me learn what I need in a tool.

Now I use google docs and a notebook.

I love the freeform of paper to contain all my ideas.

Then I transfer them to digital form.

Which is a secret way to edit your writing, but that’s a story for another time.

That’s all folks!

See you next time.

—Mohammad Khan

PS: If you’re ready for more insights, here are other ways I can help:

1. Follow me on LinkedIn for bite-sized tips throughout the week (free).

2. Work with me for 1:1 writing coaching. Hit reply and I’ll share more.

3. For $1/month join the Insight Community & grow with other writers.