My professor in 2018 told me my writing was 'too safe' and it changed my whole approach.

4 comments

4 Comments

My journalism professor in 2005 called my first draft "bloodless." I started writing every piece to one specific friend after that.

lilya761h ago

Read somewhere that writing to a specific person actually changes your brain chemistry. Not kidding. The writing gets warmer, more natural. Your prof knew what he was talking about with "bloodless." It's that thing where you're so scared of getting it wrong you end up saying nothing real. Picking one friend makes it feel like a conversation instead of a performance.

milarodriguez1mo agoTop Commenter

My old writing teacher said the best advice he ever got was "write like you're arguing with a ghost." It forces you to pick a real side instead of just summarizing what everyone already knows. That "too safe" comment is basically the same kick in the pants.

tessa_murray1mo ago

Oh man, that "too safe" comment hits home. I started forcing myself to ask "what do I actually believe" before writing anything, which totally changed my voice. It's like what @milarodriguez said about arguing with a ghost, you have to pick a real side. That little push made all the difference.