On Writing
From quick drafts to deep 1000-word essays — a method of writing.
25 entries
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Karen's Book Selection | People Without Decisiveness Often Lack Self-Understanding - "Life Has Meaning, Decisions Have No Fear" Dentsu CEO Tang Hsin-hui
One story left a deep impression: at age 14, she flew to the United States to study with her 12-year-old brother, learning how to care for him while walking to school in freezing weather. Her English wasn't strong initially, but she improved and maintained top grades in school. Due to her English exam scores, she lacked confidence applying to Ivy League schools, and ultimately chose New York University.
"Noise": The word "judgment" is generally used when people think opinions "should" be in agreement
"Noise: A Flaw in Human Judgment" is co-authored by Nobel Prize-winning economist Daniel Kahneman and McKinsey senior partner Olivier Sibony. It is a masterwork after a decade-long absence, and upon reading the opening sections, one can deeply appreciate the height and depth of an economist's perspective. I am greatly grateful for this book, which has guided me to have the opportunity to layer by layer analyze the levels and dimensions of my own thinking through the various cases presented.
Reflections on the Writing Era! Creating Personal Value at Zero Cost—Can We Protect Readers' Right to Know?
Recently, there's been a rush of writing that seems stuck on 'style building'—using words to tell others 'this is the kind of person I am,' 'this is how I live.' But will these empty rhetoric and stacked achievements become good fruit or bitter fruit?
How to Train Your Observation Skills in Daily Life? Let's Pay Tribute to "Conan"!
In efficient writing, we consistently emphasize associative thinking and observation skills. The way to train yourself is to first collect a large amount of information and understand the rules of how the world operates. The more you know, the better you can help yourself notice when something is odd or unusual.
Tips for More Comprehensive Writing: Understanding Social System Contexts and Building a Personal Database to Cultivate Holistic Insights
I believe the key lies in having a sufficiently comprehensive "database," which I divide into two dimensions: first, an "information database," and second, a "text database." This article focuses on discussing "social systems." By definition, a social system is a patterned network of relationships that constitutes a coherent whole among individuals, groups, and institutions. It is the formal structure of roles and statuses that can form a stable group. A person may belong to multiple social systems at once; examples of social systems include the nuclear family unit, communities, cities, nations, university campuses, companies, and industries.
The Solution to Transforming Your Writing: You Only Know What You Can Write When You Start—And That's When Your Skills Improve
Return to the question "Why do I want to write?" Content that typically resonates usually has a few key characteristics: 1. Tell your own story: "Content is King" is a famous saying. To make content compelling, it must have uniqueness, differentiation, and personal characteristics. Starting with your own story is the simplest approach, but don't turn it into a bland account—it needs to create "resonance." (Further reading: K-style internet writing techniques – Don't live in your own world; make the emotions you want to express "resonate" with others) 2. Share your own professional expertise: When you share your expertise, uniqueness is already abundant. If your writing skills are strong enough, you're practically unbeatable; it also helps your future career development. I once knew a woman who said very clearly, "I don't particularly enjoy writing, but writing is a means to an end." She was clear about her goal—to have her expertise recognized—and that's exactly what makes it a great approach. (Further reading: Before investing in writing as self-investment, ask yourself: Do you really like writing articles? Don't just help others organize information) 3. Document real events: My most well-known article on my blog wasn't actually something I conceived from scratch. Rather, it documented problems I witnessed while participating in an event. The main subject had some popularity, but because the incident sparked much reflection and discussion, it resonated with many people.
K's Internet Writing Techniques – Don't Live in Your Own World, Make Your Emotions 'Relatable'
People often say my articles have warmth. I believe having warmth doesn't just mean readers are moved—it means a certain phrase triggered their memories and resonated with a specific moment in their life, which is why it's called warm. So how do you share personal experiences without showing off expertise, while still making people understand the emotions you want to express? My method is "situational simulation."
Personal Branding Guidelines: The Smaller You Are, the More Proactive You Must Be
Before sharing my personal experience, I want to first define what I understand as "personal branding" and how it differs from entrepreneurship. In one class, a student asked a question that…
After Seven Years… Blog Transformed into Social Tech Company! Pixnet CEO Zhou Shouzhen First Reveals the Thorny Path from 0 to 1
"If you have one hour to solve a difficult problem, you should spend 55 minutes thinking and use the remaining 5 minutes solving it." Pixnet CEO Zhou Shouzhen (Jenny Chou) opened her speech by quoting Einstein's famous saying to annotate Pixnet's seven-year transformation journey. This was also her first public disclosure of Pixnet's digital transformation process, revealing how the company successfully transformed from a mere website company into a social technology company.
"If You Follow Convention, You Won't Find New Solutions" — Taiwan Female Founder Polley's Journey from US Engineer to Founder
Polley returned to Taiwan for the first time this year as a speaker at the Open Source Product Summit (Open UP Summit), an event that marks Asia-Pacific's first collaboration between international serial entrepreneurs and local Taiwan teams. The goal is to help future founders start by contributing to international open-source projects, building international product vision, community connections, and resource integration perspectives. For this open-source community conference, Polley stayed in Taiwan for a month and personally prepared an 8-day free workshop to co-create JITA with participants. Through talent development, she sought out like-minded partners. Polley led 15 people—including university professors, front-end and back-end engineers, career changers, and those interested in the field—to experience the spirit of co-creation.
200,000 College Students Flee Campus as Leave-of-Absence Surge! High School and Second-Year Students Self-Study and Start Businesses — Chen Po-yu: Not Everyone Needs Higher Education
According to the latest statistics from the Ministry of Education, the total number of students on leave of absence for the entire 106th academic year was 209,392. Adding the 91,531 who withdrew, the total number of college students taking leaves of absence or withdrawing in the 106th academic year was 300,923, accounting for 23.6% of the total 1,273,894 college students. In other words, nearly 1 out of every 4 college students took a leave of absence or withdrew. Reasons for leave of absence include "work needs," "mismatch of interests," and "financial difficulties."
Almost Unable to Depart... Kaohsiung Gas Explosion 'Goat Horn Sisters' Push Forward with Australian Marathon Challenge as Foreign Tourism Board Allegedly Cancels Sponsorship Out of Inconvenience
The 'Goat Horn Sisters' Lin Dai-zhen and Chen Tzu-yu, who became paralyzed from the waist down due to the Kaohsiung gas explosion accident four years ago, named themselves the 'Goat Horn Sisters' because they can only view the world from a tilted angle while sitting in wheelchairs. They were supposed to depart on July 5th to participate in the Gold Coast Marathon in Australia to challenge the full 42K marathon, but a local tourism board sponsor suddenly canceled their sponsorship. The reason given was that there were no available seats due to the EVA Air strike, but through assistance from other airlines, tickets would still be available. However, insiders revealed that the sponsor did not pursue further assistance and simply walked away.
Cross-Boundary Thinking / Unwilling to Leave Bodies Exposed on Iron Trays in a Row — Former Cosmetics Counter Assistant Becomes a Ritual Body Beautician, Applying the Final Makeup for the Deceased
I saw so many deceased people lying face-down on iron trays, their buttocks lifted by the washing and dressing staff, their bodies forming a "V" shape, each person's buttocks held up high to make it easier for staff to dress them; at a glance... I saw a row of bodies, completely naked without any dignity or privacy lying on iron trays; I was truly shocked at that moment, not because I saw many bodies at once, but because... this so-called bathing and dressing of the deceased turned out to be so lacking in dignity and privacy, which is why funeral companies never let families watch. If... the person lying there were my family member, could I accept it?
After 4 Years in Mainland China! Media Agency Professional Transitions to AI Product Commercial Director - Wang Yan-qi: "No One Needs to Take Responsibility for Your Knowledge"
"No one needs to take responsibility for your knowledge." After the formal interview ended, I admiringly asked Jeffery "how are you so amazing," and he stated this sentence firmly yet gently...
"Achieving Your Teammates' Dreams" — How This 30-Year-Old Manager Built the Perfect Team
Sharon, with long hair and a brilliant appearance, has just turned 30 and is an Associate Manager in the Consumer Business Group at Bourgeois PR Consulting. With 4.5 years of experience, she was actually promoted twice in just 1.5 years to reach her current position. Starting from the ground level and leading teams with strong principles, she says, "Everyone knows I'm particularly strict, but that's the client's standard, not mine."
We Only Serve High-End Clients! How a Processing Factory Transformed into Asia's Largest Stone Specialist – Interview with Yingliang Stone's General Manager
(Photo / Yingliang Group Warehouse No. 5 General Manager – Liu Xin) "We only serve high-end clients," said Liu Xin, General Manager of Yingliang Stone, right from the start. With clear target customers and precise business strategies, "building a brand, not chasing the market" is the operating philosophy of Yingliang Stone's self-created brand "Warehouse No. 5…
From Staff to Business Development: Flower Ya-Ching Wins Rookie Award in Six Months! She Treats Her Job as a Career—Even Reading the Chairman's Autobiography Before Bed
"The interviewers gave me the feeling that they were willing to wait for me." Because she had just graduated with no experience, and nearly 10 companies had rejected her, she was actually terrified of interviews. But when she interviewed at Sinyi Realty, Ya-Ching said, "They asked questions with real depth—questions that required thinking before answering. They wanted to understand my perspective." Unlike other companies that only wanted to know if she could be useful immediately and how she'd keep up without experience, "even when I said HR was a very specialized field, the manager actually laughed"—not because they found her cute or earnest, but because they thought, "How is HR considered a profession?" The manager was belittling their own department, which made Ya-Ching feel very uncomfortable.
Unwilling to Watch Her Mother's Exhaustion—22-Year-Old Lin Jiayan Founded "SCONAS" Skincare Brand, Winning Fans with Warm Handwritten Postcards
Since founding the brand, what touches people's hearts most at SCONAS are the "handwritten postcards." "Customers are like my family!" While most after-sales services come from online instant replies, which already feels thoughtful to consumers, in this era of rapidly fleeting information, Jiayan chooses to write postcards that are shipped with products to customers. Many customers continue to repurchase because of a single handwritten card.
The Simplest Truth About Work Is Just "Willingness"
For the same task, some people complain about giving too much, while others dwell on physical and mental exhaustion. But the truth is: "When you willingly give, you receive proportional fulfillment" rather than filling your life with complaints. When you're unhappy, shift your perspective. Think about what you've gained, consider how your small actions can improve your workplace environment, take initiative to help, and create the workplace you want.
After 27 Years Caring for Fujen University's Wenyou Building, She Tearfully Retires! Not 'Aunt Mary' — Please Call Her Guan Meihua
For 27 years, every single day, Auntie rode her motorcycle at 5:30 a.m. to reach Wenyou Building, immediately opening and cleaning every classroom to prepare for students. After a rushed lunch around noon, she returned to Wenyou Building to sort through the garbage everyone left behind, until 10:30 p.m. when the evening division students finished class.
Just Want to Get to the Next Stop... Visually Impaired Friend Nike Holds Up Bus Numbers, Waits Helplessly for 1 Hour as No Buses Will Pick Him Up
"Can you help me?" the man in dark glasses said softly. It was a bright, sunny afternoon when my sister and I passed by a bus stop. From a distance, we could see him standing in front of the Blind Rehabilitation Center—wearing sunglasses, leaning on a cane, holding an A4-sized sheet of paper. To avoid glare, he had deliberately used white text on a black background, displaying bus numbers "99" and "235." The font was clear enough that I could see him from 50 meters away, even while crossing the street.
Continues to sell magazines after dialysis... Uncle Jincun selling The Big Issue: "I have no great ambitions—just want to get by!"
"I won't live much longer," says 66-year-old Uncle Chen Jinchun with a smile, standing at the exit of Zhongxiao Dunnan MRT station, watching the crowds pass by. Over the past eight years, Uncle has made a living selling The Big Issue magazines, selling anywhere from 10 to 50 copies a day, earning 50 yuan for each sale. Life gets by reasonably well.
No mask? Still tending the shop for 12 hours! Senior engineer ditches high salary to switch careers making coffee: "Doing what you love is what matters most"
Mr. Wang is in his fifties. Every day from 7:30 AM to 8 PM, he spends 12 hours in the shop. He commutes by motorcycle between Neihu and Nangang, with only four days off per month, yet he's content and never complains. Instead, he's happy because he's doing what he loves.
From Last Place in High School Division B to World Champion! Born to Cheer: Lai Hong-ting's 12 Years of Unwavering Commitment
Competitive cheerleading has become a popular club and school team at many high schools and universities in recent years, and is one of the hottest sports on campus. Lai Hong-ting (nicknamed Bald Eagle) started with the cheerleading club at Yongchun High School and has been involved ever since—now in his 12th year. This year marks the ninth year I've known him, and the day of this interview was the first time in all these years that we met somewhere other than on the "blue mat."
Straws Lined Up Perfectly, Crouching to Wipe Chairs... Mark's Seventh Year at Starbucks—Committed to Perfection, Yet Some Customers Find Him in the Way
Today I came back to my favorite Starbucks at Nanzoft. Whenever I'm troubled or need to recharge, I come here, order a coffee, and sit for an afternoon. Sometimes I read, sometimes I work on reports, and my mood is restored, ready to face future challenges.