In 2024, AI started sweeping the globe. Suffice to say, I was wooed (like so many of us). But since then, as we move forward, the reasons to write have actually become stronger.

I know, it’s a bold claim.

I mean, I can just tell ChatGPT to “create a 2000-word blog post on 10 compelling reasons why writing is the future” – I don’t even need to think.

But if we just did that, we wouldn’t get any of the benefits of writing I’m sharing in this post.

So let’s jump in and explore why it’s a modern hard skill worth spending time on – let’s get it.

(Re)defining Writing for 2024

Writing is more than just books and blogs (although, those things are still a thing).

The scope of this creative venture has widened drastically.

So let’s redefine it.

Writing is the seedling to all other content. It is the first step to and the key component of everything.

Everything starts as an idea, which expands and develops through communication and writing. Dan Koe talks more about this idea and the benefits of writing in this video.

So what does modern writing look like?

Here are some examples:

Prompt engineering for AI
Tweets and Twitter threads
Social media posts and copy
Video scripts
Media and digital content
Lyric writing
Blogging
The art of communicating and pitching an idea (in real time, with a real person)
Sending compelling direct messages
Emotive writing
Digital marketing and personalized, nuanced sales copy
The ability to transfer your unique knowledge and experiences into compelling content and sellable courses

10 Reasons to Write (especially with AI)

These are my biggest reasons to start (or continue) writing.

In sum, writing is a tool, a resource and a skill.

It’s a gateway to much more than just words.

1. Personal Growth

Whether it’s clarity or catharsis you need, writing is a great tool to put in your back pocket.

One big way I experience personal growth is through writing. It’s great for self reflection and self awareness.

It’s an epic path to better understanding yourself, what you want and why you want it.

Plus, writing for personal growth has no rules. It’s intuitive at its core and the perfect private pursuit.

It also creates a strong sense of pride and creative ownership. I mean, I love my blog.

So if you’re looking for a reason to start writing, personal growth may be the perfect place to start.

2. Make Money

Writing opens doors – it’s a monetizable skill.

One popular way is make money from writing is through freelancing and offering your services to clients.

There are tons of websites to find these freelance writing opportunities (such as Problogger). And if you’re serious and committed, you can become a full time, fully remote work-for-yourself writer.

It’s a pretty sweet lifestyle — if you actually like writing (and personal autonomy).

Other popular writing gigs and opportunities include:

SEO copywriting
Ghostwriting
Writing and selling eBooks (self publishing on Amazon Kindle)
Technical writing
Social media content writing
Blogging (more on this one below)

3. Sharpen Your Communication Skills

The ability to simply communicate complex thoughts or ideas is an awesome skill.

And writing is a masterclass in it.

Writing requires the ability to organize arguments and structure topics in a cohesive and sensical way.

It requires conciseness and clarity.

Great writing knows how and where to cut the fluff.

So if you’re serious about writing — and focused on getting better — rest assured that you’ll also be sharpening your communication skills.

4. Build An Audience (+ a personal brand)

Writing is a great way to build an audience online.

Being a good writer means you’re unapologetically authentic and an expert at storytelling. And these are essential assets for building a brand.

Building an audience (and a brand) is also the best way to safeguard yourself against any technological trends or macroeconomic tidal waves.

Because a brand is something that’s yours. It’s you. It’s something that cannot be replicated.

But this requires content. And content requires writing in some way or another.

I know sharing my ideas online has been one of the greatest decisions I ever made. And it’s an awesome reason to start writing.

(keep reading – I share my top 4 platforms to start and grow an audience online below)

5. Become A Pro At Using AI

Learning how to use AI is probably one of the smartest things you can do.

And one epic way to get good at it is by getting good at writing AI prompts – aka, prompt engineering.

Prompt engineering is the ability to use the right words and query combinations to instruct an AI tool to produce the best results.

With OpenAI’s Sora release, AI videos are quickly becoming unrecognizable from real video — all from a prompt and the creativity of the person writing it.

So a shift from learning how to work a camera to instead becoming more creative and sharpening your writing skills may make more sense (*for some people).

Knowing how to instruct AI can make you unstoppable.

From AI-generated art to streamlining business operations and investment strategies, AI is quickly becoming a new standard operating procedure (SOP).

That’s why I’m focused on learning how and where to use it (not fighting, ignoring or fearing it). It’s already headlining resumes and professional profiles.

And getting good at (prompt) writing is a great starting point.

6. Networking

Eventually, writing and sharing your insights online (in a compelling way) turns into networking.

And just copy-pasting generic AI responses won’t cut it.

Of course, I’m a big supporter of using AI to streamline things, get through creative blocks and work smarter.

But genuine writing skills are essential for connecting more authentically with other influencers, collaborators or leaders in your space.

From closing deals to building relationships, online networking starts and ends with great writing.

7. Boost Your IQ

Writing makes you smarter and changes your brain.

From learning new vocabulary to spending hours researching a topic, writing boosts your IQ.

The title of writer embodies feelings of intelligence and wisdom, like a well-seasoned traveler or some contrarian novelist.

But for good reason. Smarts, experience, creativity — these things beget great writing.

I’ve definitely expanded my own vocabulary, honed new skills and broadened my perspectives — all from writing on my blog.

It’s a great side effect.

But writing also changes your brain in other interesting ways:

Improves cognitive skills like attention, problem-solving and reasoning (source)
Improves brain function and keeps your mind sharp (source)
Boosts your memory — especially handwriting (source)
Supports mental health (source)

8. Boost Your EQ

Writing is a creative outlet. And creativity requires a level of vulnerability and connectedness with your feelings.

Great writing has a strong emotional component and connects with people in inspiring ways.

Whether it’s a motivating message for sales copy or a compelling character development in a short story, writing is an emotional endeavor.

And as you know, being in tune with and expressing your emotions is super beneficial.

So if you’re looking for a solid reason to write, an EQ boost might be it.

9. Learn New In-Demand Skills

Writing online teaches you some awesome modern skills.

So I’ll get straight to it.

Here are some examples of skills I’ve developed from writing online:

How to get and keep attention
Sales and marketing
SEO and content strategy
Online business development
Web design
Technical skills (such as running a website or reading traffic analytics data)

10. Become More Creative

A core theme of this whole blog is creativity. So this is the perfect place to wrap up this list.

My favorite part about writing is it makes me more creative.

I mean, writing in itself is creative. But it also tends to snowball, making you more creative in other areas of life.

Writing is often the first step I take for sorting through all my ideas and getting stuff out of my head.

I write for songwriting, blogging, video scripting and oh so much more.

So if creativity is important to you (like it is to me), then writing is a great way to sharpen your skills.

4 Best Ways to Start (write) Now

It’s far from too late to embark on your writing journey.

Actually — if this post is even half right — it may be the perfect time to start.

So if you’re feeling inspired and ready to dive in, these are my favorite places to begin.

Journaling or Creative Writing

This is the lowest-friction place to start.

All you need is an empty Google Doc or a spare notebook. You could write a short story, brainstorm creative project ideas or simply journal your thoughts.

The options here are only limited by your imagination.

But if you’re not sure what to write, here are two tips:

Practice stream of consciousness or intuitive writing
Try using writing prompts (like these growth mindset prompts I made)

Medium + Substack

If you want to write publicly – but aren’t quite ready to build a whole website – look no further than Medium and Substack.

Medium is perfect if you want to try blogging (for free and without any commitments).

Substack is perfect if you want to try your hand at building an email list (also for free and without any commitments).

Both platforms focus on audience-building and have a strong social element to them (especially Medium).

It’s totally free to sign up and start writing on either one.

So if you’re looking to dabble in online writing, these two options are definitely worth your time.

Social Media

Social media isn’t just for posting photos and videos. It’s also another option to share your writing online.

When I say social media, I’m really looking at one platform in particular, Twitter — but you can get creative with other places as well.

For example, community forums like Reddit or Quora are another great way to build credibility and an online audience.

But for me, Twitter wins and I see it more like starting a mini blog.

It’s a great test bed for ideas and a fantastic place to grow an audience and add value to your niche.

So if you’re more comfortable with social media platforms and prefer this style of content creation and sharing, Twitter may be your calling.

Start A Blog

Starting a blog is one of the best things I ever did.

It’s also my top recommendation for anyone who’s more serious about writing, sharing their ideas online and becoming a creative entrepreneur.

Because starting a blog is essentially like starting an online business (but without all the confusing or stressful logistics of one).

Starting a blog opens up a lot of doors. It can:

Boost your creativity
Help you connect with amazing people
Turn into an online portfolio of your skills and expertise
Become a legacy and something to be proud of
Build you an online audience
Give you financial freedom (if you can pull the right levers and stay consistent)

If you’re interested in the idea of owning your own blog, I actually created a whole series of posts sharing how I started (and grew) mine.

Check out my (free) blog mastery series here.

Otherwise, that’s a wrap for today. I hope you found some inspiration for starting your writing journey.

Let me know in the comments: what’s the biggest thing holding you back from starting to write or sharing your ideas online?

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