How Being Brutally Honest with Myself Skyrocketed My Writing by 67X
The simple act of being honest with myself changed my entire writing. It didn’t just improve a little — it skyrocketed.
You have to quit telling yourself lies and accept reality sometimes.
When I first began writing, I was completely deluded.
I reasoned that big words and convoluted phrases would make me think I was smart.
But you know what?
Wearing a suit to a cookout does not make you seem sophisticated, but rather a fool.
How I Faked My Way Through Writing
In 2016, my life was miserable because I was still a university student, bogged down by textbooks and papers.
Anyone who has ever been in a classroom knows the feeling: classes full of jargon that not even the teachers can understand.
My teachers were trying to give the impression that they had the secret key to happiness.
I hoped to emulate their success and go on to literary greatness. Consequently, I acted like any other naive student.
I started writing as if I had a thorn in my throat.
Words that appeared like verbal diarrhea, complicated phrases, and lengthy paragraphs.
To cut a long story short, my communication skills were shitty.
Readers Hated My Guts
A blog article I wrote in the beginning was titled “The Quintessential Analysis of Paradigm Shifts in Modern Sociological Constructs.”
Excellent title, huh? Nope.
It was the type of article that would make a chimpanzee addicted to Red Bull fall asleep.
Nobody perused it. And it was hated by those who did.
Why?
Considering that they had absolutely no idea what I was talking about. I was impressing people, not expressing my ideas with grandiose words.
And what do you know? The worst thing a writer can do is that.
No reader wants to be a show-off.
They are looking for anything relatable, which gives them the impression that you are sitting next to them, sipping coffee, and having a rational conversation.
If you add too much detail, you lose your identity as a writer.
All you’re doing is trying too hard to seem like a smart.
The Real Problem: Professors’ Bullshit Mentality
Academics like using fluff in their work. Why? Because they believe it distinguishes them.
Complex language and fancy words are the only ways to hide something.
And that’s precisely what I did.
I believed that silliness was necessary for me to feel worthy.
That’s the academic world for you — people who write more for their egos than for the benefit of others.
You begin to think that writing is about bragging about how much you know and how many words you can conjure up.
However, it’s not.
People are looking for something sincere and straightforward.
My Wake-Up Call: Admitting I Was a Shit Writer
It was the day I came to terms with my writing being terrible. It wasn’t simple either.
Imagine telling yourself, after all these years, that what you’ve been doing is total nonsense.
Although painful, it’s essential. It is when things begin to get better.
Instead of dwelling on self-pity, I questioned: Why do I write as if I’m trying to solve a puzzle? My ego whispered back because that’s how you show you’re clever.
However, a more sincere voice added, “Or perhaps you just lack basic communication skills?”
Hurt so much.
That was just the revelation I needed.
I wasn’t smart enough to write for the simple reason that writing requires courage. To put yourself out there and say, “This is what I think — take it or leave it,” requires guts.
By doing so, you provide readers with something worthwhile.
You offer yourself to them.
A New Beginning: Writing As I Talk
I decided to discard the fluff.
I began afresh after deleting all of my drafts. I wrote as I said this time.
Not a lot of fancy words. Nothing fancy, just simple phrases.
I am alone with my thoughts.
And what do you know? People responded.
Finally, my statements seemed to make sense. Comments began flowing in, and people reported feeling connected and understood.
It dawned on me then that people aren’t looking for an intellectual j*rk. They want compassion, optimism, and relatability.
The 67X Improvement: How I Measured It
This number is not something I made up. I mean it when I say that my writing improved 67 times.
My readers grew by a considerable amount. It got more engaged.
People who only skimmed my posts now left comments and DMs and shared my work without me having to ask them to.
It was easy to see the change.
Everything changed when I stopped trying to be someone I wasn’t and admitted that my way was what it was.
It wasn’t just about getting more people but also about how I felt about writing.
It’s Hard to Write.
It sounds simple to write, right? Not right.
It’s not as easy as using big words and long lines. You show who you are when you write.
You can’t hide behind words that sound good. You’re alone and naked out there, with only your thoughts to help you.
It’s terrifying. There’s also freedom in it.
You start to enjoy the process again when you tell the truth.
You don’t worry about how smart you sound.
Your goal is to connect with your fans and make them think, “Damn, I needed to hear this today.”
People Want to Be Understood, Not Confused
People want to be understood at the end of the day.
They want to know others share their aspirations, worries, and hardships.
Using complex terminology or exercising your vocabulary will not help you achieve that. No, sir.
By being genuine, you achieve that.
What, then, did I do?
I chop the sh*t.
I don’t make a point in three sentences if it can be said in one.
I use the more straightforward synonym where there is one.
Additionally, I remove sentences that don’t contribute anything. My writing went from a confusing labyrinth to a clear, concise route.
And people adore that.
Using Writing as a Shit Tactic
I used to write to impress people back then. I now write for self-expression. And that’s the point of magic.
You can only write to impress for so long before you start doubting yourself.
You’re more concerned with what other people may think than with your thoughts.
It’s tiresome and very phony.
Authenticity began to show through when I gave up trying to impress others. That’s when my words started to connect with people.
I could see them in my stories, and they identified.
Because I was no longer wearing a superiority mask.
People desire authenticity, and I was being honest.
Last Words: Give Up the Fuzz and Get Real
I have one piece of advice for everyone who is caught up in the “sound smart” mindset: F*CK THAT.
It matters more to convey clearly than to sound smart.
Additionally, you will connect with more individuals if you speak well.
I made the embarrassing mistake of overthinking things, which didn’t help. Everything changed for the better once I began writing as I spoke and started being honest with myself.
Cut the nonsense, throw away the filler, and find your voice.
You’ll be astonished at how rapidly you advance once you begin writing kindly.
And by being genuine, honest, and saying “screw you” to all the extraneous noise, I was able to enhance my writing by 67X.
Writing doesn’t have to be complicated. It just has to be you.