Wes Kao

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Typing thousand word articles on my phone

I’ve drafted some of my best work on a tiny keyboard while laying in bed.

There’s something about being in a relaxed state that allows me to say what I want to say. When you type on your phone, you’re usually speaking one-on-one in texts or emails. My writing is better when I’m writing for one person.

When I’m telling my sister what happened at work, I’m not worrying about whether my writing is good - I’m just writing like I talk. Which tends to be the kind of writing people like to read.

I think the worst thing ever is the blinking cursor on a blank Word doc. It probably single-handedly invented writer’s block, and I can never think of anything important enough to fill the white page with.

If I’m typing using a computer, I almost always write drafts in email. Then once I have enough momentum, I copy and paste into a Google Doc and continue writing there.

This might seem like a “what kind of pencil do you use?” type of question, but I think finding a posture that allows you to invite the muse is useful.

So there’s my secret: my best stuff is drafted on my phone.