What KFC’s “Secret Recipe” Can Teach You About Writing Online
Should you even bother writing and publishing online?
The internet is bursting at the seams with both new and old creators — it feels impossible to make any difference. Everything seems to have been said and done before — nothing is really new, just a repackaged version of the old. We are all bombarded with content, content, content everywhere we go (how many how-to articles have you read this year alone? I bet you couldn’t count anymore). What if we’re just adding to the clutter?
These thoughts ran in my head as I finished my crispy chicken dipped in flavorful gravy (and don’t forget the coleslaw. Yum😋). Anyway, here’s my conclusion:
Everyone can fry a chicken. But nobody does it like KFC.
And it’s the same with your content. Maybe everyone can write about your niche and favorite topics — but never with all your 11 herbs and spices.
- Your genetics
- Your beliefs and values
- Your goals and habits
- Your experiences
- Your character and personality
- Your pop culture references
- Your social background and circle
- Your trials and triumphs
- Your quirks and humor
- Your intellect and creativity
- Your point of view
Next time you hear a voice in your head that says, “Someone wrote about this already!” Tune it out. One idea can be expressed in a thousand different ways by a thousand other people just because each of us is wonderfully unique. Maybe it has been said before — but not by you and without your 11 herbs and spices. 😉
You don’t have to change the world with your writing
May this take the self-doubt and pressure off your shoulders: You don’t have to change the world with your writing.
Writing is an effective tool in untangling our thoughts and understanding our feelings — it clarifies our thinking. It may not change the world, but it can change you. And as you learn and let it change you, you might just help someone out there by simply sharing your work.
“Think about what you want to learn, and make a commitment to learning it in front of others. Find a scenius, pay attention to what others are sharing, and then start taking note of what they’re not sharing. Be on the lookout for voids that you can fill with your own efforts, no matter how bad they are at first. . . . Share what you love, and the people who love the same things will find you.”
―Austin Kleon, Show Your Work!: 10 Ways to Share Your Creativity and Get Discovered
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