Writing as a Mode of Thinking

Many times we think we know something until we try to write it down.

Writing forces you to turn fuzzy ideas into clear sentences. You can’t stay ambiguous on paper—each word must be chosen, each point supported. That process is the best thinking exercise there is.

I write to find out what I’m thinking. — Joan Didion

I often discover halfway through that an argument I assumed was solid has holes, or that a seemingly simple question is actually quite complex. Those discoveries can be frustrating, yet they make me excited—because they mean I’m inching closer to the truth.

Another benefit of writing is durability. Conversations are forgotten, ideas dissipate, but words remain. When you revisit what you wrote years ago, it feels like talking to your past self. You’re surprised by how naive you once were and comforted by how far you’ve already grown.

So don’t wait for the “perfect idea” before you start. Writing is the process that finds ideas.

Written in the quiet hours of the night.