"You haven't written in more than three months."
This was a close colleague's opening line in a recent conversation.
But it is not quite true.
I have not published a blog post in three months.
I have written almost every day.
There is a big difference.
People's attention is increasingly valuable. So many publishers are in the business of attracting eyeballs and getting clicks, churning out a never-ending stream of often unsatisfying content.
Why would I want to contribute to that?
I write almost every day. I publish only when I think that writing is worth reading. This usually means sitting with drafts for some time, reworking them for clarity, and ruthlessly editing out unnecessary verbiage.
This doesn't mean we shouldn't work out loud or share less than perfect thoughts. Even when I publish something it remains a draft of sorts as readers' reactions often cause me to rework the piece.
But attention remains a precious commodity, one not to be wasted. So a fair amount of my writing never makes the cut to share. Quite honestly, I wish more people would do the same.
