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Aryan Choudhary
Aryan Choudhary

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Why do you write?

A recognition

There is a line by @sylwia-lask that stayed with me when I first read it. She wrote about how writing can feel easier than coding after a long day.

I remember recognizing myself in that immediately. Not because coding is harder. But because writing asks something different from me.

After a full day of debugging, context switching, and holding systems in my head, coding can feel heavy. My brain is already full. Writing, on the other hand, feels like letting the noise settle.

That is why I keep coming back to it.


Writing does not drain me

When I write, I am not trying to solve a problem efficiently. I am trying to understand what I think.

There is no compiler. No correct answer. No pressure to be fast or precise upfront. I can move slowly. I can circle around an idea. I can admit uncertainty without it becoming a blocker.

Most importantly, writing clarifies thought instead of demanding it. I do not need to know exactly what I am saying when I start. The act of writing is how I find out.

That is very different from how I approach code.


Lowering emotional noise

A lot of thoughts do not need solutions. They need space.

When I do not write, those thoughts stay half formed. They repeat. They get louder. Everything feels heavier than it actually is.

Writing externalizes them.

Once something is on the page, it becomes quieter. Not solved. Just contained. That alone makes it easier to think clearly again.

This is especially true when I am tired. Writing helps me process without spiraling. It gives shape to things that would otherwise stay tangled.


Writing as explanation practice

Another reason I write is simpler. It forces honesty.

If I cannot explain something in plain language, I usually do not understand it as well as I think I do. Writing exposes that immediately.

This is not about dumbing things down. It is about removing unnecessary complexity.

The same instinct that makes me want clean systems in code makes me want clear sentences in writing. Both are forms of respect. For the reader and for myself.


Processing without ranting

I try not to vent while writing (ˉ▽ˉ;).... I write to understand why something affected me.

That distinction matters.

Writing lets me slow down emotional reactions and turn them into observations. It creates just enough distance to be honest without being reactive.

By the time something becomes a blog post, it is usually because I have sat with it long enough to see more than one angle.

That is also why I keep the tone simple and human. I am not trying to perform intelligence or confidence. I am trying to be accurate.


Memory, quietly

There is another side effect I did not expect. Writing helps me remember.

Ideas I write about stick longer. Experiences I reflect on become clearer reference points later. Writing turns moments into markers.

I do not always reread my posts. But I remember what I learned while writing them.


Why I keep writing

I do not write because I always have something important to say.
I write because it is how I think when thinking gets crowded.

Coding builds systems. Writing builds understanding. Both matter. But on tired days, writing is what keeps me grounded.

In that sense, writing is not productivity for me. It is recovery.
It is thinking out loud, slowly, without needing to ship.

(Some of these reflections live on DEV. Some live elsewhere, where I give myself more room to be personal)

If you write too, privately or publicly, what is your why?


A quiet thank you

One small thing I want to acknowledge.
Over the last three months, more people started reading what I write than I ever expected. I recently crossed 3,000 followers here, and that number still feels unreal to say out loud.

Not because of the number itself, but because of the conversations that came with it.

Some of the comments I have received made me pause, reread them, and honestly tear up. People sharing their own stories. Saying they felt seen. Saying something I wrote helped them put words to a feeling they could not explain yet.

iloveyouall3000

I think that kind of response is not something you optimize for. You earn it slowly, by being honest and showing up consistently.

So if you have read, commented, or quietly followed along, a big THANK YOU. Your responses have helped me keep going.

Top comments (28)

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richardpascoe profile image
Richard Pascoe

Another insightful piece from you, Aryan - one I’ve bookmarked to come back to later today. It pairs really nicely with posts from members like @sylwia-lask and others.

When I joined DEV at the start of the year, I had a very clear goal for my writing: to document my learning journey and keep myself accountable. As I’ve become more involved in the community, that writing has naturally expanded into other areas - #discuss posts, learning resources, and more. That growth has only been possible because of the continued warm welcome and support I’ve received here.

Thanks for posting this, it's really something that should be discussed more often.

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itsugo profile image
Aryan Choudhary

Hey Richard! Glad you liked the post, and yes, the DEV community is definitely doing a good job at making development and coding fun with such warm support and the occasional constructive criticism.
I am just honored to be a part and contribute in my own way here!

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richardpascoe profile image
Richard Pascoe

I agree, Aryan - the community is fantastic and there are some really cool writers within it right now, yourself included.

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itsugo profile image
Aryan Choudhary

Thank you very much for the appreciation! Just honored to be included (/▽\)
Your writing is inspiring too, as in how to explain things to beginners in simpler ways.
Let's keep up the good work Richard!

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richardpascoe profile image
Richard Pascoe • Edited

Appreciate that, Aryan! The Learning with freeCodeCamp series started out as a reference for myself, so I guess I fell into the rhythm of making it easy to follow for when I had to refer back to it!

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sylwia-lask profile image
Sylwia Laskowska

Thanks for the mention! Interesting perspective. Respect for still finding time to write and build projects while working at a startup 🙂

My writing philosophy is quite different though. I always joke that I write half for myself, half for people. I also don’t attach any grand philosophy to writing. Maybe except this one: if I’m having fun while writing, there’s a good chance people will have fun reading it. And maybe they’ll even learn something along the way 😉

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richardpascoe profile image
Richard Pascoe • Edited

Good way to look at it, Sylwia - enjoy what you do, chances are others will too!

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itsugo profile image
Aryan Choudhary

Definitely! I personally enjoy reading your posts and the stories and learnings that come with. Thank you for writing and supporting us newbies Sylwia!

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webdeveloperhyper profile image
Web Developer Hyper

I write because it helps me understand things better than just thinking inside my head. Moreover, if I post on DEV.to, others might learn something or enjoy it too. 😀

Your writing skills are really good!👍

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itsugo profile image
Aryan Choudhary

Definitely, that's the most clearly visible effect of writing.
Thank you very much, it's an honor that my posts are being read and liked by creative and amazing people such as yourself.
Your writing is super amazing too!!ヾ(≧▽≦*)o

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webdeveloperhyper profile image
Web Developer Hyper

Thank you!😊

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cleverhoods profile image
Gábor Mészáros

to reiterate, to clarify

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itsugo profile image
Aryan Choudhary

Me too Gábor! A thoroughly written topic definitely increases my clarity about it! Thanks for reading!

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javz profile image
Julien Avezou

Love this piece and congrats on your writing milestones so far! Writing is a great moment of reflection for me between projects and also helps me structure my thoughts. Also knowing that writing helps contribute to a community such as this one is also a nice thought. If it can inspire others to try or learn something new, then that is also a win in itself.

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itsugo profile image
Aryan Choudhary

Definitely Julien, it's an amazing feeling when others get inspired and learn something from your writings, and projects, even when no one reads it, it's a win because now you understand it better after writing.
Thanks for the appreciation too!

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saqib_abdul_c9ca24457be3b profile image
Saqib Abdul

I sometimes write to document my thoughts, and sometimes just to understand a concept better. As you said, if you cannot explain something in plain English, you may not have understood it fully.

Anything I write is for my younger self. It can be about a tech topic, a life lesson, or anything that helps me become more productive.

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itsugo profile image
Aryan Choudhary

Yes Saqib, the art of explaining things simply is a rare one, even today, and writing while keeping your younger self in mind is a really great way to master it.
I usually think of my younger brother or my not-so-techie mom, as to how would I frame this topic so even they can understand it, and most of the times they don't (ˉ▽ˉ;)... but hey, at least now I have a deeper understanding of the topic.

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ravgeetdhillon profile image
Ravgeet Dhillon

It helps me understand whether I truly know a topic or not.

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itsugo profile image
Aryan Choudhary

Me too Ravgeet! Thanks for reading!

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devjaiye profile image
Dayo Jaiye

I write because it gives me the freedom to explain what I know. That’s a super thing I find interesting to do.

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itsugo profile image
Aryan Choudhary

This is definitely a great way to look at writing Dayo, now that you mention it, it is a super thing.

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artur_abdullin_b6510c2f74 profile image
artur abdullin

good

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juliecodestack profile image
JulieS

Thank you for the great post! It changed my mind!

Before reading your article, I thought coding and writing were similar. Both write in some language. Both organize syntax pieces in some way to make sense. Both need practicing. The more you write, the better you write.

Your post gives me a new insight on coding and writing."When I write, I am not trying to solve a problem efficiently. I am trying to understand what I think." I suddenly realized that coding and writing are different. Coding is to solve a problem, and you need to think and have a solution in mind before starting to code. When writing, you don't need to get the clear outline in your mind at first. Just a problem to start, and you figure it out in the writing process. No wonder people say that writing is thinking externalized. Perhaps we can add that writing is thinking and understanding. We solve problems in the writing process.

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itsugo profile image
Aryan Choudhary

Your words of appreciation mean the world to me, JulieS! I am glad it gave you a new perspective on coding and writing. Thank you for sharing your thoughts!