“The best advice I ever got was to write a letter to one person and use it as a way to clarify my thoughts.” — Tim Ferriss
That’s a great piece of advice from Tim Ferriss.
Right now, I’m writing this as if I’m speaking to a junior writer who needs guidance. And you know what? It works.
The trick is simple: write as if you’re talking to one person—a close friend who badly needs this advice.
How to Use This Trick
Just start with: “Hey [friend’s name]”
That friend can be real or imaginary. Close or distant. Doesn’t matter.
I discovered this by accident.
A few years ago, I was struggling to write consistently. Every time I sat down to write, I felt like I had to sound smart, professional—like I was delivering a TED Talk. And because of that, I rarely wrote at all.
Then one day, a friend asked me a question over text. Instead of overthinking my response, I just typed out an answer as if we were talking in person.
That reply? It was the easiest thing I had written in weeks.
That’s when it clicked.
Writing felt hard because I was trying to write for everyone—but when I wrote to just one person, the words flowed effortlessly.
The moment you do this, something changes.
- Your writing flows better.
- The pressure disappears.
- You’re no longer speaking to a faceless crowd—you’re speaking to one person.
I’m surprised by how well this works every time. It feels like the friction to write vanishes. The words just… appear.
Because now, I’m not performing. I’m not giving a speech. I’m just talking.
Where Most Writers Get It Wrong
The mistake many new writers make?
They assume their monologue is a speech. It’s not.
Writing isn’t about standing on a stage, delivering some grand proclamation. It’s about leaning in, whispering something valuable to one person.
Final Thoughts
This approach removes the fear of writing because it shifts your mindset from “writing for everyone” to “writing for someone.”
Try it. Write a letter to one person. Your words will flow more naturally, and your writing will connect more deeply.
And if it works? Well, now you’ve got a new writing superpower.
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