You Will Slay Giants - Encouragement to My Six-Months-Ago Self
Lessons and Encouragement from my budding Substack Journey
There’s a tip often repeated on Substack: “Write the advice you’d give yourself six months ago.” I’m going to do that for the first time today.
Six months ago, I was thinking about writing my first post on Substack. I started writing to help make sense of my transition from 24 years of Air Force life to the relative chaos of the civilian world.
I’ve learned a lot since then, and I’ve found a lot of advice about how to write here.
Most advice is understandably geared toward growing an audience and/or monetizing your writing. Still, most of it seems like solid advice to simply learn the craft of writing in public:
Be consistent.
Post daily, weekly, or whatever works for you.
Be patient; expect to “shout into the void” for a while.
Anything published is better than everything in your draft folder.
Just hit publish. See above.
Daily 1/3/5/10 checklist: Post, Notes, Comments, Likes. Variations on this theme lead to growth through relationships and building networks. (Likely a big key.)
Find your niche. Generalizing seems to be something to grow into, not start with.
Name your publication something understandable.
Define a simple, clear, irresistible offer. This seems pretty important for effective use of paid subscriptions.
Simplify your About page. (Did you see the hot mess I had for about 4 months? ;p )
Write as if you’re speaking. You’re not Shakespeare and shouldn’t try to be.
Write as if you’re speaking to a single person; it helps your reader feel heard.
Fail often and learn. Enjoy that freedom while you’re starting small. :)
Learning to write, those are the big lessons that stuck with me so far. The ones I’ve chosen not to follow or adopt (primarily: daily checklist, picking a niche, clarifying brand/offer) are mostly just me being stubborn and embracing my anti-authoritarian streak. If you’re learning to write here, I’d suggest trying all of these.
Additionally, there are three tips I’d add and personalize for my former self:
People want to hear your story, but you need to learn how to tell it.
You can do this. You made this promise, and you can keep it:
“We begin with one simple promise to you, my dear reader: I will post something every Saturday. I will even endeavor to make it worth your time.”
- jofty, “what missives lie within”
…but it won’t be easy.
You will slay giants.
Writing may be a glorious canvas for nuance, but a lot of this will feel like brute force.
Each piece of advice you receive is like a tool in your arsenal.
If writing in public is like stepping in to an arena, and different exits are your goals, these tools help you face the giants that guard them
Many battles, some with giants, lie ahead. Many of those will be battles you enjoy. You can, have, and will continue to win.
That’s what I’d tell my six-months-ago self. Writing in public feels like stepping into an arena. It’s empowering, and it will humble you. That’s an interesting combo.
Let’s talk about it. 8^)
Embellishing the Story
If I had more than a few words to share with my former self, these are the parts I’d embellish:
People want to hear your story, but you need to learn how to tell it.
I know you’re rather accustomed to learning new things quickly, but this will take more patience that you expect. You need more than technical writing skills to grow. Relating to people is crucial. You need to write to people, not at them, or simply for yourself.
Learning to write for your audience will allow more people to hear your story.
“I don’t know exactly what this will be, but I will start by telling my story. If you find it interesting, perhaps I’ll continue for a while. 8^P”
- jofty, “what missives lie within”
They will, and you’ll want to continue once you start. 8^)
You can do this. This is a promise you can keep.
Writing once a week is a commitment you’re capable of meeting. I know you’ve learned not to make promises, but your deployments, weird shifts, and odd work schedules are behind you now.
You can do this. You can keep this promise.
Keeping it will be like facing a giant every week. It will be tough, but each victory will make you stronger. You will struggle at times, thinking you’ll miss a deadline or have to publish a placeholder post, but you’ll make it work.
You can do this.
Six months may seem like a long time, but it will go by in a flash.
You’re starting with solid ideas. Remember why you started. Keep in mind you are writing because: it’s time to grow up, you have time now, your story is worth sharing and preserving, writing feels like the right way to reconnect, you’re healed enough to speak, you can keep this promise, your family deserves this, and writing is good therapy.
You will slay giants.
Every time you eye the publish button, a giant will stand in your way, guarding the button, daring you to push it. Whether it’s a weekly post or a daily note, it’ll be there. It is healthy to fear or respect, and overcome those publish-button-giants.
You will find many other giants in the arena. Taking a moment to name and understand some of them will make them less intimidating.
Naming Your Giants … So You Can Slay Them
Perhaps I should clarify my example. Writing on Substack is like walking into an arena. I picture giants guarding exits, or standing as obstacles to goals. If the arena is public writing, I stepped onto the floor, and giants guard the exits.
These giants don’t charge me simply because I walk by. We can name them, study them, and fight them on our terms. When we pursue a goal, that’s a giant blocking our “exit.”
If I were to tell my former self about giants he could expect to face here, the first one I’d tackle is about deadlines:
Deadlines - One “Deadline Giant” per week is enough. You need that fight, and you picked it. Win it, every week. Be slow to add more.
There are three other areas I would mention as well.
The “Publish” Button
Calling the internet the “real world” sounds kinda silly, but writing here is exposure to real people in the real world. Every time you hit the publish button, you have to slay a giant guarding that exit. There are several types that fight a little differently:
Notes - Guess what? You’re gonna need to work on your short-form because it’s important here. Some days, you’ll just leave these smaller “giants” alone. That’s okay… but you’re going to have to learn to fight these.
Posts - You made a promise to post once per week. Keep it. You chose that fight. Get ‘er done! (But occasionally give yourself a little grace with posting time.)
Comments - Keep it simple. You’re saying hello, not explaining your path to world peace. These giants should eventually move out of your way when they see you coming.
Read the Room
These are tricky giants. ‘Reading the room giants’ are pesky and these particular ones will humble you.
Target Audience - Your technical writing skill is fine, but you need to be relatable to your audience.
Audience Interests - Remember who’s reading and what interests them.
Connecting - Connection is possible, and being authentic helps. Oversharing is easy, but you can find a balance.
Personally, I prefer as little difference as necessary from room to room. I’d like to be the same, authentic ‘me’ all the time. Real life doesn’t typically allow a full alignment, so we have to stay flexible.
- jofty, “Be Authentic”
Windows into Your Soul
As you walk this path and open windows into your soul, you’ll slay giants. These pesky bastards are waiting for you. May the odds be ever in your favor.
Guardrails - It’s time to chart your own course. Set your own guardrails to decide which giants to slay.
Empathy - You may have felt this coming. It’s here. Once you find this giant, you’ll face its minions every day. You got this.
Authenticity - You thought you knew what this meant. More was assumed in your previous life than you realize. Slay this one, and many more will appear. You got this, too. :)
There are many more giants, and they come in all shapes and sizes. But you’re ready.
Questions for You
What advice would you give your six-months-ago self? If you’ve been following me since I started writing here, just think back to where you were when I dropped that crazy first post. ;p
Do you write to untangle your thoughts, or is there another way you make sense of the world? I find writing surprisingly helpful. I’ve related it to the Pensive from Harry Potter. Often, just getting my thoughts on “paper” helps sort things out and make sense of this crazy world.
Is it time you started that “thing?” Is there something you’ve been thinking about starting? A project, a new hobby, or a habit you’d like to form? Is there a giant guarding that exit, one you’ve been staring down, deciding when to make your first strike?
Did you start a “thing?” Hitting milestones generally feels pretty good, especially when you set the goals. If you’re working on a personal project and hitting noteworthy milestones, remember take a moment and acknowledge your success. :)
Drop a comment below and tell me about a giant you’ve slain or one you’re staring down. It can be fun to share our victories and sometimes our thoughts before stepping onto the arena floor.
Wrap Up
Thank you for joining me today. I hope this discussion gave you some ideas to name, study, or fight your giants on your terms.
Keep slaying those giants, and I’ll see you next Saturday!
Take care,
- jofty 8^)