learn to write

The debate rages on… Is it worthwhile to learn how to write in the face of surging AI popularity? Artificial Intelligence has reduced writing anything from blog posts to white papers to a few clicks of a button. A few well-prepped prompts, and you’re off to the races. Rather than slog an entire day to write a measly thousand ones, AI can spit out tens of blog posts an hour. So, should you learn to write after the AI revolution? Unsurprisingly, the answer is a resounding yes! Learning to write remains a worthy pursuit for anyone looking to communicate with fellow human beings in any capacity. Whether you’re an executive, a business owner, or a freelance blogger. AI may have lowered the entry bar and given everyone the words, but they’re only a tool. They are instrumental in sourcing and organizing ideas. Still, they can be a hit or a miss when writing compelling pieces. That’s because despite sponging off immense quantities of data, AI tools can’t quite connect the dots like humans do. They can’t feel the gravity of a profound moment and express it like you would. They can’t bring to the table your lived experience, the granularities, the simple nuances that resonate with the readers and keep them riveted to the page. Simply put, AI tools miss out on the granularities that make us human. And therefore, the capacity to capture them in the written word. As such, AI may replace some writing while accelerating your capacity to write professionally. Why Learn How to Write Writing is hard, and for most people, a hair’s breadth is shy of a Herculean task. That’s because writing is an art. There’s more to the craft than stringing words into sentences. Or wielding your semicolons and colons with the skill of a Samurai. The core purpose of the written word is to drive communication. To create a resonance with the readers. To draw the reader’s attention not to the words on a page but to the underlying message. In fact, the best writing is invisible. It fades into the background while sucking in the reader with its compelling message. The best writing persuades and compels the reader to act. A well-written page can move a reader from a curious onlooker to a fastidious consumer who buys tens of thousands of dollars of your products annually. It can persuade tons of customers to pick your products over the competition because they resonate with the message. But what if you’re not running a business? Polishing your capacity to write professionally can skyrocket your career chances. A survey covering 120 of America’s top employers found poorly written applications a “figurative kiss of death.” One Human Resource practitioner termed them “extremely prejudicial.” Large corporations are unlikely to hire applicants with poor writing skills because over 60% of their salaried employees have some writing responsibilities. These companies use written communications to make business decisions. The survey estimates that companies spend billions annually to correct employee writing deficiencies. With smartphones and social media encouraging people to be more expressive, you can turn everyday escapades into a compelling read with polished writing skills. How to Successfully Write for the Web While learning to write professionally is an all-around important skill, writing for the web is an entirely different beast. With web content, you’re wading into an uber-competitive landscape. Google estimates there are about one billion websites on the internet — all competing for eyeballs. As such, you must adhere to the rules of the web to stand a chance of connecting with your ideal readers. Faced with limitless choices, online readers are a picky bunch with low attention spans. You have precisely 8 seconds to grab the reader’s attention, or you’ve lost them forever. That’s why online content — web pages, blogs, landing pages — play by different rules. The traditional magazine writing style has no place in this highly dynamic and super competitive landscape. Besides making sure your content is factually accurate and informative, you must tailor it to cater to the needs of your audience. It’s simply not enough to lay out the facts. You must weave them into gripping stories that compel and persuade. And that takes patience and practice. The adage goes, everything worth doing is worth doing well. Much like great novelists, great content writers aren’t born — their horn their skills the old-fashioned way — through sweat and tears. It’s the equivalent of becoming an Olympian. You join an elite group of people who can shape opinions and build empires with their written words. But first, you must painstakingly hone your skills and perfect your craft amidst mind-numbing setbacks. For a rookie, learning to write is the equivalent of becoming a figure skating champion — you’ll endure many a fall along your journey. But the rewards are well worth it. Once you’ve proven your writing chops, you become a renaissance man. You can apply them everywhere and profit from them for life. Learn to Write Like a Pro Professional writing is radically different from what they teach in school. School essays are more about showcasing your vocabulary and writing skills. In a word, school essays are all about you. Conversely, online writing is all about the reader—you’re out to solve a problem for the reader. And that takes a while to master. You may need to unlearn your previous writing skills and internalize the new approach. That takes practice and dedication. A labor of love — you must go all in and give it your best. Luckily, perfecting your writing skills doesn’t falls under the 10,000-hour rule purview. Your writing style will improve drastically if you consistently and diligently put in the work. Writing is a multifaceted process. Breaking it down into components makes learning to write less daunting and more manageable. 1.    Set Yourself Up for Success with the Right Tools Your writing environment matters a great deal. Set it up properly, and it’ll help your flow and get you … Read more