Write of Passage Weekly - Is Write of Passage Right for You?

There are five days left to enroll in Write of Passage Cohort 11. Join us on October 2 to start sharing your ideas online and unlocking the serendipity of the Internet.

Free Workshop: Write of Passage Test Drive 

The world is awash with opportunity — and online writing can open new doors in your life. But aspiring writers often smack into two mental blockers: 1) Is my writing too boring? 2) Who am I writing for? If you’ve faced these blockers, our next free workshop is built for you. 

Don’t expect just to sit back and listen. You’ll get the full experience of a Write of Passage Live Session, and you’ll find out if the course is right for you.

Join us this tomorrow, September 21, at 12 pm ET for the Write of Passage Test Drive.

Who Should Write Online?

After running ten cohorts and teaching thousands of students, I’ve realized there are ten kinds of people who write online. And I bet you fit into one of these categories (likely multiple).

In case you’re curious, I'm a niche hobbyist and an up-and-coming entrepreneur. But when I started writing online, I was an underestimated employee and intellectually isolated.

Here are the ten types of online writers:

1. The Intellectually Isolated: You are intellectually curious, but you’re not meeting people who share your curiosity and love for ideas. To cure intellectual loneliness, start sending your signal out into the world. Write online, you’ll become a lighthouse for like-minded people.
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2. The Undervalued Employee: You have so much to give, but your current job only taps a fraction of your potential. After a long day doing unfulfilling work, you look yourself in the mirror and say, "I was made for more than this." You can prove yourself and elevate your career by writing online.
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3. The Up-and-Coming Entrepreneur: We’re moving to a world of audience-first products. Before the Internet, companies built products before audiences. Now, they build audiences before products. It’s easier to start a business when you have an audience, and you build your audience through consistent writing.
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4. The 10x Engineer: Engineers are paid very well. But the best ones are still underpaid. By writing online, you can demonstrate your competence and tell the world about your unique skills. You’ll attract the gaze of recruiters, and other engineers will see your worth.
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5. The Job Hunter: A well-written personal website says more about you than any resume ever could. Writing demonstrates curiosity, commitment, and diligence — which attracts the eyes of the world’s best companies. Instead of reaching out to recruiters, they’ll find your writing and reach out to you.
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6. The Deep Thinker: Writing is the best way to clarify your ideas. The blank page is a mirror into your mind. When your ideas are cloudy, so are the words you put on the page. Build a writing and publishing habit to sharpen your thinking and become a better communicator.
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7. The Investor: Investors need a competitive edge. Writing online makes you a magnet for new investment opportunities. Talent is globally distributed, and when you write online, people from around the world reach out to you. Writing online gives you the first look at up-and-coming entrepreneurs, and these relationships will make you a smarter investor.
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8. The Think-for-Yourself Academic: Academia is hyper-specialized and often hostile to new ideas. On the Internet, you don’t need permission from peer reviewers before you publish your work. Build an audience to reduce career risk — so you can have the flexibility to study any topic you want.
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9. The Gifted Artist: Fans like artists who can explain the thinking behind their work. Write online to document your creative process and give fans a window into the madness of your mind. As you write, your art will become three-dimensional, and you’ll attract die-hard fans.
   
   
10. The Niche Hobbyist: The Internet rewards people with obscure interests. Writing online will help you find other like-minded hobbyists whom you wouldn’t be able to find without the Internet.

These are the kinds of people you'll meet in Write of Passage. It’s so energizing! Just look at what these alumni have to say about the course and the impact of this community:

“I have found lifelong friends who helped me break free of the beliefs that constricted me. Write of Passage changed my life by changing my perception of myself and the power of online community.” – Haley Brengartner

“Write of Passage sparked the start of my online writing journey after a twenty-year dry spell. I'm now publishing weekly, and I’m just getting started.” – Rik van den Berge

“I don’t think I’ve ever felt more momentum in my professional life than with Write of Passage. It feels like my brain has switched into a different, more powerful mode.” – Julia Saxena

“Write of Passage has made me significantly more confident in sharing my ideas.” – Justin Frank

“Write of Passage awakened a deep, expansive part of who I am that will continue to unfold until I die.” – Wes Lambert

Write of Passage Cohort 11 kicks off on October 2 and will run until November 8. The course is fast-paced and community-based. If you identify with any of the ten types of online writers, then Write of Passage might just be the place for you.

See you in the course,

David

P.S. This week’s episode of my podcast, How I Write, is a conversation I had with Derek Sivers.

It’s hard to capture in words the love and creativity that Derek Sivers brings to his work. He describes himself as a “monomaniac, introvert, and slow thinker.” But those words just reveal his humility. In this conversation, Derek shares how he finds his best ideas, why he plans to publish a “posthumous autobiography,” and why life is not a problem to be solved but a paradox to be experienced.

Listen on Apple or Spotify.