I've recently come to think that the appeal of writing isn't about technique

Hello, this is Yasu. Compared to the writing I did when I was a college student, I feel like my stuff back then was more like 'real' writing.


I'm taking a stroll through the big park that is note. When I read various people's articles, well, everyone is so interesting. Deep. Rich. Compelling. note is a place where people who love to write gather, after all.


I am participating in a relay essay project organized by popular note essayist Daiki Ito. It's a relay where you read an article, write your own thoughts on it in another article, and pass the baton to the next person.


I was able to write this relay essay quite smoothly, but whenever I re-read my own articles, I always think, 'I still have a long way to go.'


'Is my writing too light?'


There are parts I'm conscious of. I'm trying to relax and write in a light, loose way. A reader once told me, 'Yasu, your writing is a bit stiff.'


But I wonder why. Why do I feel like I've lost when I read an interesting article?


I'm not sure if 'lost' is the right word. Is it jealousy? Is it the envy of not being able to write something that carries real weight?


I have one suspicion. The reason I feel my own writing is 'light' is that those are the articles where I haven't thought things through deeply. Articles I've really grappled with in my head are ones I can look back on later and feel satisfied with.


That might be the case for writing by others as well.


Articles that make you think, 'This content is rich,' or 'This has a nice, solid feel to it,' aren't necessarily written by people with exceptional writing skills. That's rude of me to say! Sorry!


What makes them feel interesting?


It's the author's thoughts. They aren't using ideas or words borrowed from somewhere else; they are spelling out words from within themselves. They are thinking really hard. It's interesting because they are putting that out there.


Writing that uses only superficial words doesn't really resonate with the heart, no matter how many metaphors or techniques are used.


Even with simple words, even when written in a matter-of-fact way, something that makes you think, 'They really thought hard about this while writing,' makes me happy to read.


Writing techniques and the skills to convey things to others are ultimately just superficial.


Perhaps it would be better to be more conscious of what's inside—my own words (thoughts)—and to immerse myself in them and refine them.


Thank you for reading.


[Image cooperation: Sachiwa]
[1031 days since the salon started]
[854 characters]


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