When I started blogging, I came across tons of blog posts with titles like “How to Write Extraordinary Content” or “Build 1000 Followers in Three Months.” I admired the dedication of full-time creators. It seemed like the magic formula for becoming a legend on Medium was simple: write constantly.

Some writers talked about how they spend two-thirds of their day just writing, while others recommended writing early in the morning, saying the sunrise would spark fresh ideas.

But I always wonder — if they spend so much time writing, do they ever run out of ideas? How do they come up with enough life stories or brainstorming ideas to keep up with the pace of publishing regularly on Medium?

The Challenge

My old theory was:

A good writer needs a wealth of life experience and a deep understanding of each topic. Simply put, the more you experience and reflect, the more you have to write about.

I’ve published 49 articles on Medium, and based on readers’ comments, I’ve realized that people resonate most when my writing is emotionally honest. This connection with readers not only enhances the impact of my work but also affirms its quality.

In the past, I was dedicated to recording and analyzing business news stories every day, summarizing the information and adding my opinions.

I thought if I continued to focus on maintaining professionalism in my content, I would bridge the gap created by a lack of extensive life experience.

I came to realize that I might have misunderstood what it takes to compose a high-quality article. After publishing 40 pieces, I slowed down. My ideas had dried up, and my mind felt empty.

I started to question whether I had any real writing talent. It felt like I couldn’t turn writing into a source of income, and I couldn’t even maintain it as a hobby. The sense of failure almost crushed my desire to keep going.

I took a long pause.

But through that time, I learned something important: the greatest challenge isn’t failing to write something great. The real challenge is failing to keep writing at all.

Photo by the blowup on Unsplash

During that long break, I tried to reconnect with my original desire to start writing. I once heard, “Remembering your initial purpose can motivate you to keep going during tough times.” So, I asked myself: Why did I want to write in the first place?

• To build a collection of my work, giving me a strong sense of accomplishment.

• To use writing as a tool for self-reflection, helping me make pivotal decisions in my life.

• To strengthen my understanding of new knowledge by summarizing information through writing.

These reasons helped remind me why writing was so important to me in the first place.

I had another new finding after I published my 40th article: writing allows me to grow more curiosity in life.

Experience is Finite, Curiosity Expands Storytelling!

To be a good writer, we always learn, research, and seek new perspectives. We don’t have to rely solely on our experiences to create meaningful content — our curiosity opens doors to different worlds, cultures, and ideas.

This reminds me of the new topics I’ve explored on my Medium profile. Blogging encourages me to dive into research and discover issues I hadn’t previously studied. I found the research process exciting, constantly thinking about how I could transform that information into an engaging blog and what my audience might learn from it.

A curious writer is always asking questions, exploring new ideas, and seeking knowledge in areas they haven’t personally experienced. This mindset keeps our work fresh and innovative, allowing us to write about a wide range of topics beyond our personal lives.

It’s not just professional concepts or theories that fuel my curiosity. Even small, random events in my life can spark deeper insights.

For example, last month, I went to a local creek to observe the salmon migration and spawning process. I was deeply moved by the salmon’s hardship in their life journey, and suddenly, my mind was overflowing with reflective thoughts. I stayed up that night writing them all down.

While experience is valuable, it’s curiosity that truly drives great writing. Writers are natural observers of life — whether it’s our own or someone else’s.

Even the smallest, most everyday moments can spark incredible, heart-touching insights. I’ve come to realize that the real value of my writing comes from always questioning, exploring, and reflecting.