How Getting Choked Unconscious Made Me a Better Writer

“Difficulties strengthen the mind, as labor does the body.” — Seneca

It’s very difficult to be “good” at martial arts. It’s also very hard to be good at writing. Frankly, they’re both hard as fuck.

Both crafts take years of physical practice. Years on years of attempting to create, failing, troubleshooting, overcoming the failure, and advancing slightly as a reward.

I’ve been competing in combat sports competitions since I was 12.

I’ve won a world title, traveled the country, and have been choked unconscious in front of hundreds of people. I’ve experienced a lot in martial arts. I’ve failed and bounced back more times than I can count.

On the flip side, I’ve been writing blog posts for a month.

When it comes to writing, I feel like a complete beginner. I wrote a decent amount in college but not like this. I feel like I’m completely winging it. I’ve never written about things that interest me before. I’m a small fish trying to learn to swim in a vast ocean.

I still make a lot of mistakes when I write. I write run-on sentences, I use the wrong kind of “its”, and I still have no idea which “affect” is the right “effect”. Rereading my work is painful and…