Wide for inspiration, narrow for execution

I think of writing as constant vacillation between two competing states: wide and narrow. Both states are necessary, but they are enemies, and many problems result from residing too long in the incorrect state.

To find inspiration it’s important to cast a wide net, to read and watch and listen to as many disparate and unrelated things as possible. We are trying to put more pieces on the table and encourage as many strange, serendipitous connections between ideas as possible.

But the actually nitty-gritty of writing requires the opposite state, a narrowing of focus to just the single task immediately in front of you: putting words to the page. You must blinker yourself to outside influence and work solely with the parts before you. Assume that you must construct something coherent from only the pieces available to you: do the best you can, and silence the critical, judging part of yourself that wants to head out into the world to collect more parts.

If you struggle with writer’s block, cast a wider net. Forget about the mechanics of writing for a while and focus solely on consumption. If you struggle to finish things, engage in a form of constrained optimisation: force yourself to conclude whatever writing project currently sits in front of you in the most satisfying way possible, given the parts you currently have available to you. Stop lusting after new ideas and resources, lock-in, and execute.