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The Writing Skill No One Talks About (But Everyone Needs)

What Makes Writing Great?

Sometimes, I like to think back to when I first began writing and imagine what I would tell myself.

What advice would I give my younger self, knowing everything I know now?

It’s kind of fun — like  a mini Back to the Future moment.

When I started, I didn’t know I would become an Amazon Best-Selling Author. I didn’t know I would mentor with Hollywood writers, and Hell, I didn’t even know what I wanted to write about.

Yet, 10 years later, writing is my job.

If I could go back in time to give myself advice to accelerate my progress, I’d say this:

Good writing isn’t about rules.

It’s not about slashing adverbs or banishing words like “that” and “really.”

Good writing is about noticing the moments that make you feel. 

What Makes Writing Good?

If there’s one thing I hate, it’s trying to define something subjective.

It’s like asking someone to describe what makes a great cup of coffee, and they say, “Well, it tastes good.” Thanks, Einstein. 

But on this, I’ll plant my flag:

Good writing is writing that makes you feel.

It’s writing that lets the reader know, “Hey, you’re not alone — I’ve felt that way too.”

Because, as humans, that’s what we want most.

We want to know we’re not alone.
We want to feel understood.
We want to know someone else has felt the things we’ve felt.

And that’s what great writing does. It pokes us where it hurts and says, “Oh, did that sting? Yeah, same here.”

The secret to writing like that?

You have to notice your own feelings first. You have to become aware.

You can’t expect readers to connect with your work if you’re not willing to connect with yourself.

Why My Medium Stories Got Boosted

Every Medium writer dreams of their stories being boosted — shared far and wide for the world to see.

And I’ve been fortunate to have my stories boosted across three distinct content pillars: Comedy, Personal Development, and Marketing Advice.

Now, this is not conventional.

 Most writing advice says to stick to one niche and become the expert, but for me, that never worked — I’d get more bored than an animal in a zoo.

So what’s my secret?

Every boosted story I’ve written began with a moment I emotionally responded to.

Take my comedy piece:

https://medium.com/muddyum/oh-no-you-went-to-an-expensive-sandwich-place-4f9894fccc2c

Have you ever been to a restaurant where the price of a burger shocked you?

Of course you have.

I did too — and I turned that moment into a funny story.

Or my Personal Development story:

View at Medium.com

Have you ever given someone really good advice and wondered why you couldn’t do the same for yourself?

Me too.

Noticing that irony was the seed for this story.

Even my marketing story:

Why Simple Messaging Works Wonders in Marketing
A powerful lesson I learned from my annoying bossbettermarketing.pub

Have you ever felt confused reading a company’s marketing material?

It happens to me every time I scroll through LinkedIn, and it likely does for you, too.

That realization sparked this story.

Despite writing across three different topics, the throughline is always the same:

I notice what I respond to because if I feel something, chances are you do too.

We’re human — and we’re more alike than we think.

How to Notice Stuff Worth Writing About

Here’s the hard truth: most of us are sleepwalking through our lives. We’re too busy scrolling TikTok, desperate to distract ourselves from noticing how we really feel.

But if you want to write well, you have to wake up and start paying attention to the tiny blips on your emotional radar.

 I’m not even talking about the big stuff— it’s the little, fleeting moments.

  • Annoyance at a slow cashier.
  • Awe at a sunset.
  • That pit in your stomach when you realize you forgot your friend’s birthday.

Those moments are gold.

They’re the raw material for writing that connects with people.

So your job is simple: catch them before they disappear. Write them down. And for the love of the paper, don’t let it go to waste.

Writing Is About Feeling

At the end of the day, writing isn’t about sounding smart or piling up accolades. It’s about connecting with people.

Pure and simple. 

It’s about saying, “Here’s what I felt. Here’s my mess. Is it anything like your mess?”

Because that’s what readers want — to know they’re not alone.

So stop overthinking it. Stop obsessing over the rules- you’ll learn them in time.  Just notice what you feel and write it down.

Everything else is noise.

 

Please like, comment, share, and tell me what you think!

137 thoughts on “The Writing Skill No One Talks About (But Everyone Needs)”

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  9. Couldn’t love this more! When I get lost in scrolling, my writing takes a hit because I am not connecting with the world around me and I am also not giving my brain time to come up with my next line or idea. Thank you for posting this!

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  13. Yes that is true it hard to start but with time you can more better than those you think they are better than you, who think you can do nothing. Thanks I like these tip it motivate me lot

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  16. Thanks for this. As a long-time writer but brand-new blogger, this is one of those “back to basics” that I needed to be reminded of.

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  18. Thank you. I enjoyed your blog post and I think you are right, but I don’t think I want to be in tune with my feelings.

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  21. That makes sense! I write about how I feel. It helps me therapeutically. I hope my writing helps others too.thank you for great advice I really need it.

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  23. “Good writing is about noticing the moments that make you feel.” I love this! Great post it was honestly very helpful.

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  24. There are no rules, only suggestions.
    I like your take on an emotional focus, although writing spec fiction usually means I have to take what’s a common experience in our reality and translate into something more otherworldly with that feeling.
    Good post (and advice)!

    Reply

  29. Hey, as a new writer this is a really helpful piece of advice to read. It really makes sense when you pause half a second to think about it. Thank you

    Reply

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