Writing in Public

Sun, 12 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

I’ve been writing privately for years. Notebooks, half-finished documents, long replies to people I never sent. The volume is embarrassing and the audience is one.

The problem with private writing is that it never has to be finished. You can leave an argument three-quarters built, because the only person who has to be convinced already agrees with you. Publishing changes the incentive. Not because strangers are harsh, but because the possibility of a reader forces you to close the gaps you’d otherwise let sit.

Writing on Stephen Pritchard

Writing in Public