What If Everything You Know About Writing Is Wrong?

If writing feels like pulling teeth, you’re doing it wrong.

I used to hate writing.

No, seriously. Hate it.

Which is funny, considering I now make my living writing words for quiet business owners and sales leaders who’d rather be doing literally anything else.

But three years ago?

I’d sit in my home office at 2 AM, staring at a cursor that seemed to make fun of me with every blink. I’d type a sentence, delete it. Write a paragraph, throw out the whole thing. My laptop would overheat from being open for 6 hours while I made exactly… nothing.

The worst part? I knew I had something valuable to say.

As a quiet business owner myself, I understood the struggle of needing to “show up” online when every part of you wants to hide in the background. I knew the pain of having great ideas stuck inside your head with no clean way to get them out.

But turning those thoughts into words that actually connected with people?

That felt impossible.

Maybe you know this feeling.

You’re running a company, leading a sales team, or building something meaningful. You understand that writing – emails, LinkedIn posts, newsletters, thought leadership pieces – isn’t optional anymore. It’s how you build trust, attract the right people, and grow your reach.

But sitting down to actually write?

It’s like trying to do surgery with oven mitts.

You’ve got the vision. You know your audience. You understand your value.

But somehow, the words come out clunky, stuffy, or just… wrong.

Here’s what I wish someone had told me back then:

It’s not about talent. It’s not about finding your “voice.” It’s about having a system that works with your brain, not against it.

Over the past three years, I’ve found 9 unusual methods that completely changed how I approach writing. These aren’t the usual “write every day” advice you’ve heard before.

These are weird, opposite-of-normal techniques that make writing feel less like torture and more like… well, not torture.

I’ve tested them with dozens of quiet leaders and business owners. The results have been amazing: faster writing, clearer thinking, and content that actually sounds like them – not some corporate robot.

Let me share what I’ve learned.

1. Start with the “Wrong” Tool

The blank Google Doc is your enemy.

When you open that clean white page, your brain immediately shifts into “performance mode.” Suddenly, you’re not just capturing thoughts – you’re trying to impress an invisible audience of English teachers.

This kills creativity before it even has a chance to breathe.

Here’s what I do instead:

Voice notes. I talk to myself like I’m explaining the idea to a friend over coffee. No pressure to sound polished. Just pure, unfiltered thinking.

Text messages to myself. Seriously. I’ll text myself entire paragraphs. Something about the casual format removes all the pressure.

Handwriting. When I write by hand, my brain slows down. I can’t type as fast as I think, so I’m forced to choose words more carefully.

The magic happens when you remove the pressure to “perform.” Your real voice comes out – the one your audience actually wants to hear.

Later, when you move these raw thoughts into a proper document, the hard work is already done. You’re just translating, not creating from scratch.

2. Write Backward (Seriously)

I used to start every piece with the introduction.

Big mistake.

When you don’t know where you’re going, every sentence feels forced. You’re constantly second-guessing yourself because you’re not sure what point you’re trying to make.

Now, I start with the ending.

I write the final insight, the key takeaway, or the change I want my reader to experience. Then I work backward, asking myself: “What needs to come before this for it to make complete sense?”

Why this works for quiet leaders:

You’re naturally big-picture thinkers. You see the whole thing before diving into details. Writing backward matches how your brain actually processes information.

Plus, when you know exactly where you’re heading, every sentence has a purpose. No more rambling paragraphs or filler content. Just clean, purposeful communication.

Try this next time: Write your conclusion first. Then build the bridge that gets your reader there.

3. Think Like a Movie Director

Every piece of writing is a story.

Even your quarterly business update. Even your LinkedIn post about industry trends. Even your sales email.

The moment I started thinking like a storyteller instead of a “content creator,” everything changed.

Here’s my simple structure:

Act 1 – The Problem: What conflict are we addressing? What’s keeping your reader up at night?

Act 2 – The Journey: What did you learn, try, or discover? This is where the real value lives.

Act 3 – The Solution: What’s the outcome? How is your reader’s world different now?

For quiet business owners, this is gold.

You don’t need to be the loudest voice in the room. You just need to be the most helpful. And helpful content follows a story structure – it takes people on a journey from confusion to clarity.

Your audience doesn’t want to be sold to. They want to be guided.

4. Honor Your Energy Cycles

Your brain isn’t the same machine at 9 AM and 9 PM.

Yet most writing advice treats all hours like they’re equal. They’re not.

I’ve tracked my energy patterns for two years, and here’s what I’ve found:

Morning (7-10 AM): Fresh thinking. Perfect for outlining, brainstorming, or planning content.

Mid-morning (10 AM-12 PM): Peak mental clarity. Great for writing first drafts.

Afternoon (1-4 PM): Good for research, fact-checking, or lighter writing tasks.

Evening (6-8 PM): Inner critic is awake. Best time for editing and improving.

Late night: Absolutely terrible for anything creative. Don’t even try.

For quiet leaders, this is crucial.

You’re already managing your social energy carefully throughout the day. Why wouldn’t you do the same with your creative energy?

Stop fighting your natural rhythms. Work with them instead.

5. Embrace the “Junk Draft”

Perfectionism is the enemy of progress.

If you try to write the perfect first draft, you’ll spend three hours crafting the perfect opening paragraph and never get to the actual content.

Here’s my opposite-of-normal solution: Write a deliberately bad first draft.

Give yourself permission to:

• Over-explain everything
• Use clunky transitions
• Repeat yourself
• Sound awkward

The goal isn’t to create something beautiful. It’s to get the raw material onto the page.

Think of it like sculpting. You need a block of marble before you can carve a statue. Your junk draft is that block of marble.

This is especially powerful for quiet business owners because you’re naturally self-critical. The junk draft gives you permission to turn off that inner critic and just… create.

You can always fix bad writing. You can’t fix a blank page.

6. The Screen-Off Writing Trick

This one sounds crazy, but trust me.

Turn off your monitor while you write. Or cover it with a towel. Whatever works.

Now type.

You’ll immediately stop obsessing over:

• How your sentences look
• Whether that word is spelled correctly
• If your formatting is perfect

Instead, you’ll focus purely on the flow of ideas.

The result? Raw, authentic writing that sounds like you – not some overly polished corporate speak.

For sales leaders, this is game-changing.

Your natural communication style is probably conversational and direct. But the moment you see your words on screen, you start “business-ifying” them. You lose your authentic voice.

Screen-off writing preserves that authenticity.

7. Create Distance from Your Work

Ever write something, then read it the next day and think, “Who wrote this garbage?”

That’s actually a good sign. It means you’re gaining perspective.

But you don’t have to wait a day. Here’s how to create instant distance:

Change the font. Use Comic Sans if you have to. Your brain will treat it like a completely different document.

Print it out. Reading on paper engages different parts of your brain than reading on screen.

Read it somewhere else. Take your laptop to a coffee shop. Change your environment, change your perspective.

For quiet business owners, this technique is invaluable.

You’re naturally thoughtful, which means you can get trapped in your own head. Creating artificial distance helps you see your writing the way your audience will.

8. The Lazy Talk Test

Want to know if your writing sounds human?

Read it out loud. But not in your “presentation voice.”

Read it like you’re slouched on your couch, talking to a friend who’s half-asleep.

If you stumble over a sentence, it’s too complex. If it sounds robotic, it needs more personality. If you feel embarrassed reading it, it’s probably too formal.

This test has transformed my clarity.

Your audience isn’t sitting in a boardroom taking notes. They’re scrolling through LinkedIn while eating lunch, or reading your email between meetings.

Write for tired people, not alert ones.

9. The Two-Tab Method

When I’m writing, my brain generates about 47 different ideas per minute.

If I try to include all of them in my main draft, it becomes a scattered mess.

So now I use two browser tabs:

Tab 1: My actual draft Tab 2: My “idea parking lot”

Every time a side thought pops into my head, I quickly switch to Tab 2 and dump it there. Then I return to my main draft with a clear head.

This keeps my writing focused while preserving all those random-but-valuable thoughts.

For quiet leaders, this is essential.

Your brain is constantly making connections and seeing patterns. That’s your superpower. But it can also derail your writing if you’re not careful.

The two-tab method lets you honor your thinking style without sacrificing clarity.

You Don’t Need to Love Writing-Just Stop Hating It

Here’s the truth: You don’t need to become the next Hemingway.

You just need to stop treating writing like a mysterious art form that requires divine inspiration.

It’s a skill. A process. A series of decisions you can turn into a system.

The methods I’ve shared aren’t about becoming a “better writer.”

They’re about becoming a more effective communicator – someone who can translate complex ideas into clear, compelling content that actually serves your audience.

Because here’s what I’ve learned after working with hundreds of quiet business owners and sales leaders:

You already have everything you need. The insights. The experience. The unique perspective that only you can offer.

You just need a system that helps you get it out of your head and onto the page – without losing your sanity in the process.

But let me be completely honest with you:

If writing still feels like an impossible burden…

If it’s keeping you from focusing on what you do best…

If you’d rather spend your time building relationships, leading your team, or growing your business instead of wrestling with words…

You don’t have to do this alone.

I’ve spent the last three years perfecting a system that helps quiet leaders and business owners communicate their ideas without burning out on the process.

Using my IMPACT Formula which is a part of my Silent Authoriry System, I create content that:

• Feels authentically you (not some corporate imposter)
• Connects with your ideal audience on a human level
• Drives real business results without aggressive selling

Whether it’s LinkedIn posts that start meaningful conversations, newsletters that build genuine trust, or thought leadership pieces that position you as the expert you already are – I handle the writing so you can focus on leading.

And your energy deserves to be spent on things that actually matter to you.