Leo Duque

Author: Leoland

Writing is hella hard! But you should still try.

So it turns out writing is super hard.

A few months ago I decided this would be the year I started blogging about development, both to improve as a developer and to remain in touch with a side of WordPress I don’t actually come in contact with a lot. I expected it would be tricky, having never really been much of a writer (and a bit of a reluctant reader).

I still haven’t written a follow up post since I decided to “be” a blogger. Here is the thing though, the mere decision to try has already moved me towards the goals I set out for myself. Most applicable at the time is the fact that wanting to write has changed how I learn about WordPress. As I write code, or solve a problem I now find myself constantly thinking about how to best explain to others what I have just done, I am a little more self conscious of what my code looks like and am taking notes and keeping a record of the things that I learn. (with the idea that I will turn them into a post).

I guess what I am trying to say is, even failing at writing is pretty good for you. And if you are on the fence about it you should definitely give it a go.

Becoming the end user

Hello internet, I am Leo.

I have built tons of WordPress sites but haven’t been a WordPress user for a while now. This is a problem. Not actually using the application I work on distances me from the users I develop for and makes me a cruddy developer as a result.

Currently, my interaction with WordPress consists of spewing dummy content into the admin panel. Meanwhile, as much as possible I ignore the interface that is allowing me to do so.  Every few months, a new WP version comes out and I dive into the release notes excited about whatever changes are relevant to me as a developer. The rest, I ignore.

It is not like I am not aware of the benefits of blogging to a developer, I have heard it first hand from developers I respect. I have read about it from time to time and it shows up almost daily on twitter… I have however always found excuses not to write. The excuse I reach for most often is that I am a bad writer or that I don’t have enough knowledge to write down (I’ll write about impostor syndrome sometime).

This year though, I plan to ignore my instincts and write anyway.

I will not take myself too seriously or attempt to set unrealistic goals of writing award-deserving, thought-provoking posts. I will most likely not write amazing tutorials that redefine the way we build WordPress, or blow people’s minds with my infinite cleverness. Instead, I will be happy to write at all, slowly improving the quality of my posts and perhaps eventually writing something worth reading.