The Quiet Quotient

Writing is about choices. You put words on the page, you shape them, and then, more often than not, you cut them.

It’s easy to think those cut lines are wasted effort. You delete them and move on, and they disappear from the piece. But they still matter. Connect with me: https://www.jimhansenmedia.com

Big ideas can freeze you in place.

You sit down to write an entire article, story, or post—and nothing comes out. The scope is too wide. The pressure builds. You stare at the screen, thinking about the end before the beginning exists. Connect with me: https://www.jimhansenmedia.com

Here’s the trick: shrink the page.

Sentences trail off. Paragraphs contradict each other. The tone shifts mid-thought. You stare at the screen and wonder what you were thinking when you started. It’s tempting to delete it and move on. Don’t.

Connect with me: https://www.jimhansenmedia.com

We wait for permission before calling ourselves writers.

A byline, a book deal, a paycheck—something to validate the time we’ve spent. We think we need a stamp of approval before we can use the word with confidence.

But writing is the only requirement.

If you write, you’re a writer. Connect with me: https://www.jimhansenmedia.com

When we think about great stories, it’s easy to picture the hero at the center—the one who overcomes the odds, who follows the familiar path and emerges victorious in the end.

But not every character fits the mold. Some of the most memorable characters are the ones who don’t follow the rules. Connect with me: https://www.jimhansenmedia.com

Sometimes the thing you don’t want to write is the thing you need to.

That moment you keep skipping over? That line that felt too honest? That paragraph you deleted because it “wasn’t relevant”? That might be the point. Connect with me: https://www.jimhansenmedia.com

There are days when writing feels like a fight.

You open the doc, stare at the blinking cursor, and feel… nothing. No spark. No urgency. Just the mental equivalent of radio static. You think, I’ll write tomorrow. Or, I’m just not feeling it today.

But here’s the thing: those are the days that matter most. Connect with me: https://www.jimhansenmedia.com

You sit down to write, and immediately your brain fills with questions:

Will they like this? Is this too long? Too boring? Too personal?

You haven’t even typed a full sentence yet, and already you’re editing for an audience that doesn’t exist.

That’s the trap. Connect with me: https://www.jimhansenmedia.com

Your reader doesn’t need the preamble. They need the heart of the thing—fast. Connect with me: https://www.jimhansenmedia.com

Waiting for inspiration is like waiting for lightning to strike the same spot twice. It might happen… but do you really want your writing schedule to depend on the weather? Connect with me: https://www.jimhansenmedia.com

You don’t talk and polish your sentences at the same time. You speak, and the words come out. Imperfect. Unfiltered. Writing works the same way. Connect with me: https://www.jimhansenmedia.com

The first draft is supposed to be messy. Confused. Overwritten. Underwhelming. That’s the job. Your only job when you sit down to write is to write it wrong—fast, ugly, and real. Connect with me: https://www.jimhansenmedia.com

We’ve all been there.

You write a few paragraphs, feel a spark… and then life happens. Days pass. Weeks, maybe. You return to the document, re-read the first line, and think: What was I even doing here?

The tone’s off. The energy’s gone. You don’t remember where you were headed. You stare. You scroll. You consider deleting it altogether.

Don’t. Connect with me: https://www.jimhansenmedia.com

Great storytelling isn’t about perfect plots or shocking twists. It’s about people—flawed, funny, complicated people we recognize in ourselves.

The best characters don’t need to save the world. They just need to want something. Badly. A sandwich. A second chance. A way out. That desire creates tension, momentum, and heart. Connect with me: https://www.jimhansenmedia.com

Failure isn’t the opposite of success in writing—it is the process. Every false start, abandoned draft, and awkward sentence has done more for me than any glowing review ever could. Connect with me: https://www.jimhansenmedia.com

Everyone wants to be a writer until it’s Tuesday at 6am, and the cursor is blinking like it knows you’re full of it. You want flow? You want inspiration? Cool. That shows up when it feels like it. Consistency shows up regardless. Connect with me: https://www.jimhansenmedia.com

There’s a certain vulnerability in writing about something you’ve never done. It feels like trespassing on territory that doesn’t belong to you—like narrating a story you haven’t lived. But sometimes, writing is less about expertise and more about curiosity. Connect with me: https://www.jimhansenmedia.com