And how to relax into it
I started to write on Medium during the cold March of 2018. Since then, the biggest frustration I’ve continuously experienced is not being able to play with words in English as I fully can in Croatian, which is my native language.
My English grammar sucks. My vocabulary is limited. My sentence structure is pretty rough.
I’ve experimented with a bunch of solutions for this problem: I tried to quit writing, returned to writing in Croatian, I hired an editor to translate my English ramblings into a decent level of eloquence and explored app-editors like Tyrannosaurus and Hemingway.
Nothing really worked in the long run.
It made my writing process even worse. It made me procrastinate.
I felt like I’m relying on a crutch and it sucked.
Here’s my epiphany
Earlier this year, I stumbled upon a piece of advice that completely shifted my perspective on writing.
It came from James Altucher and goes like this:
F-K Score. Google that. It’s the grade level you are writing at.
NEVER write above a 6th-grade level. Hemingway’s “Old Man and the Sea”, one of the greatest written books ever, was written at a fourth-grade level.
This blew my mind. If he’s right, I thought, then I could turn this damn thing into my own advantage.
My English education did stop somewhere at the fourth-grade level. What if this fact turns out to be a blessing?
My girlfriend, who’s my biggest supporter, heard me talking about this particular piece of advice. She reminded me of her own multiple attempts to persuade me to create stories as simple as I can.
Your content is already valuable, you don’t have to die trying to decorate it with a bunch of words. Just write, she used to say.
If you look at Altucher’s pieces, the language is pretty basic and simple.
Yet, the guy has a ton of readers and followers.
I didn’t find it easy to relax into it and kill a bunch of demons who teased me to “write” like John Goorman.
It’s hard. I still struggle.
Took me six months to find ease, but the first little success gave me the courage to improve. I had nothing to lose. Not anymore. Here are the major breakthroughs I’ve experienced so far.
Your story and emotions will come out naturally in sentences you already know how to put together without consulting an editor or an app
For the rest, there’s Grammarly.
If you’re not clear on what you have to say, no one will understand you. You’ll only get yourself and the reader a headache.
Simplify the sentences to your current level and you’ll find the flow. The bottom line is, you need to be scared of how easy, boring and readable your truth sounds.
Don’t translate the thoughts from your original language
Find a way to tell it in English. There has to be a straightforward phrase for you to tackle it. Imagine how a six-year-old would say it in English.
This will transform your English from a second language to your second nature.
Here’s another useful exercise: observe adds all over the Internet. They are all about delivering the message.
You don’t have to torture yourself with sentences like this one:
Fashion is really becoming the number one obsession in the life of posh Millenials all around the globe, and now it’s going even more crazy with this new trend of wearing torn jeans during the winter.
You can say:
Don’t be a fashion victim.
And make your points with a strong listicle.
Carry a little notebook around, write down these little messages that surround us and play with them to create your own truths and statements.
Use your limitation to set you free. Shape your style and release your unique voice
Work with the tools you already have in your fingers. Maybe it’s bad. But persist. Go through it. It will get better.
Deliver just one memorable headline or a sentence and soon you’ll be able to get to two or three.
Don’t forget to read and borrow from the great writers here on Medium or elsewhere. Thank them for the inspiration. Mention them in your stories. They deserve the credit.
It doesn’t matter you can’t write. It matters you can put your thoughts in words
This is your goldmine as a writer.
Your level is enough. Your truth matters. The white screen doesn’t tolerate lies, fakers, ego, being too smart or superficial.
It craves for the real you.
Find the sentences that work to your advantage.
Benefits of implementing this advice into my own writing
- hot publications like Better Marketing, The Post-Grad Survival Guide, Live Your Life On Purpose, Publishous and P.S. I Love You accepted me as an author
- for the first time, I got curated by the Medium editors in categories like Marketing, Startup, Creativity, and Self
- for the first time, one of my stories got 10+ fans
after more than a year of zero feedback, my story got a comment from a reader - I’ve earned a small but sweet amount of money to cover the cost of my Medium Membership which is pretty cool for a fourth-grade writer
- other platforms re-shared my content
In conclusion
“Just write poorly. Continue to write poorly, in public, until you can write better.” — Seth Godin
It doesn’t matter if you write like Borat or Tarzan.
If the story begs to come out, allow it to come out however you can. Hit publish. Repeat. Read and engage with other writers.
Don’t be ashamed of your fourth grade English. There’s an undiscovered potential inside of your limits that you’re not even aware of.
Your rough and basic style can get clear, sharp and unique.
No one can do it like you and for you.
And if you’re really in love with writing, want to reach the audience worldwide and get better at the craft, you owe it to yourself.
The language is never a barrier.
It shouldn’t hold you to reach your dreams.
Patience.
Persistence.
Ease.
You’re already getting there.
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A version of this post was previously published on Medium and is republished here with permission from the author.
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