January 15, 2026

Daily Writing FTW... EVEN MORE Reader Feedback

Longtime friend and modern-day polymath Kieran MacMillan replied to my recent message about the benefits of daily writing to share his experience (shared with permission):

Hey JS,

While working on my Master’s in Music Composition at Rice University, I taught myself database development — almost on a whim — using a copy of FileMaker Pro 2.1 that happened to be installed on a rickety computer at the Student Centre, where I had a part-time job manning the Information Booth.

After I graduated, I spent ten months living in my parents’ house while I tried to decide what to do with my life. To pass my “idle time“, I spent several hours a day (!!) on FileMaker mailing lists and forums, answering questions for people with less experience than I (which, surprising to me at the time, were numerous!). Quite often I wouldn’t have the answer to a given question at first, but would spend a little time figuring out the solution before posting an answer back to the OP. Two years later, I was widely considered a FileMaker Pro “expert”, and that basically launched a lucrative and enjoyable career which continues to this day.

I’m quite sure most people would have frowned on (or laughed at?) me spending multiple hours every day answering questions for free on those late-1990s FMP forums… but the payoff has been incalculable.

Cheers,

Kieren.

Ah, I see a theme...

Several of the replies I’ve gotten to these daily writing posts are about more than just writing every day; they are about answering questions every day.

If you’ve been writing every day and haven’t seen much benefit, maybe try to incorporate more Q&A with your potential audience.

It certainly helps me develop new content and deepens my expertise.

Questions? Just hit reply ;-)

Yours,

—J