About good writing
#253 - Jun.2025
Is writing a way to only communicate ideas, or is writing a way to create an idea in the first place?
Let's take this even further: is good writing directly related to the quality and clarity of your ideas?
Paul Graham's last essay left me thinking about all these questions. I recommend everyone interested in writing to read it.
In my personal experience, writing has been a way to refine ideas. Sometimes, the idea is very generic, but through iterating and editing I start seeing clarity on what I'm thinking.
Words matter. A lot.
Choosing the right words is like finding the closest representation of the ideas you want to deliver. We shouldn't take this lightly.
Set constraints. Are you able to share your message in fewer sentences? Polishing and simplifying usually results in more clarity.
Paul makes a point on something that might sound controversial: Good writing in the context of truth and saying the right things:
"So getting the ideas right is not just a matter of saying true things, but saying the right true things."
What's right for you - as the writer - is subjective. From this perspective, good writing is about how you maximize your capacity to enable others to understand what is true for you.
Writing is powerful.
¡Saludos!
