I hated writing—until I learned there’s a science to it
"I hated writing growing up. It felt like navigating a chaotic jungle, where creative types swung easily among the tangled vines, while I clung petrified on a low-hanging limb, unsure where to reach next.... For hours, I stared at blank pages, trying to turn my scattered thoughts into fluent sentences. There were too many ways to write the same thing, and I had no idea which to pick. (Or should I have written “I didn’t know which to choose”?)[...]
I gravitated toward what I saw as the orderly city grid of math and science. I took comfort there, knowing objective truth could be found in that grid if I searched methodically [...] In college, I studied engineering, and a few years in I joined a research lab, itching to get more hands-on experience. [...]
I knew that if I wanted to become an academic, I would need to spend time penning papers. But with my awful track record with writing, I was scared of failing. In a panic, I asked a graduate student in my lab for help. We defined a goal for the paper, and I carefully wrote an outline. But when I asked him for feedback, I soon found the paper covered in red marks. Not again.
Before I could retreat in defeat, though, the graduate student explained that red didn’t mean I was a bad writer. Writing isn’t a one-and-done thing. It requires revising your work, often several times. [...]
For the full article, visit: https://www.science.org/content/article/i-hated-writing-until-i-learned-there-s-science-it