Recently popularized by a musical about his own life, there are few Americans that could have outpaced Alexander Hamilton as a writer. Even though he passed before even reaching the age of 50, Hamilton has been cited as writing over 22,000 pages during his life. The most notable of which are the majority of The Federalist Papers, which were written in defense of the newly written constitution, and a letter to his father about a hurricane that had hit his town that was so moving that not only was it published, but a collection was raised by locals to send him to college in the Colonies.

During his time there he would quickly rise in notoriety with the growing unrest in America which brought him to the right hand of General George Washington which he kept as the fledgling government was born and ratified. He took his time as Secretary of the Treasury very seriously and focused on setting up the banks of America and tackling the staggering debt the war had incurred. During this time he also would begin to write the groundwork for the first political party, The Federalists.

Between each of these great works Hamilton would fill his time writing thousands upon thousands of letters- never afraid to let people know what he thought or how he felt. Which did get him into trouble in his later years but looking back from the present it’s clear to see that Hamilton was a man of conviction who focused less on the opinions of his contemporaries and more on the idea of a legacy and setting things for his childrens’ and childrens childrens’ generations, which is something to be admired.

1. Simply write.

This may seem like the most obvious tip to give but it’s easy to be distracted in how you want your writing to look or read, so that you get lost and forget to simply write. Editing can come later, for now just write like you’re running out of time.

2. Write with Conviction.

Don’t be afraid to speak your mind clearly and unapologetically. State your beliefs and stand for them. It’s one thing to find a common ground but another entirely to keep your voice hidden for the sake of the opinion of others.

3. Consider your Legacy.

Likely the most terrifying writing tip we’ve given in this series. Writing for the future is a heavy and daunting thing to consider, especially when our writings feel so personal. However, like all great things, it’s best handled one step at a time. Rather than trying to write for an audience of the future now, focus on writing authentically for yourself and let the rest fall into place based on the starting point of personal integrity.

Your writing prompt for the week is to write for yourself.
Create your own platform and speak your truth from it.