There is a lot of hoo-hah on LinkedIn and elsewhere about how to write online.

People say you need to know:

–Pixar’s 22 rules of storytelling 

–Joseph Campbell’s hero’s journey

–Kurt Vonnegut’s 8 rules for writing 

They also say you must:

–Take an ice bath each morning

–Journal every day

–Meditate 20 minutes 

I don’t think anyone needs to get wet to start writing online. 

And I don’t believe you need to use any storytelling formula to publish and reap the benefits of sharing your thoughts and experiences on social media. 

I understand it can be scary, which explains why only 1 percent of the billion people on LinkedIn publish anything on a weekly basis. (About 7 percent publish every three months.)

Here is how I would start: 

Imagine you are writing an email to your boss. You’d use a respectful tone. You’d be mindful that it’s important to get right to the point. Your memo would look something like this: 

–Here is what happened 

–Here are the key details 

–This is why it matters

That’s all you need to do. For example:

I heard the company’s president speak.

He said morale is high, but costs are unsustainably high 

It was the first time he’s mentioned costs, a sign cutbacks are coming. 

Write that “story” like an email.

Then go back and take out single word that isn’t absolutely necessary.

Insert more hard returns than you think are necessary so its easier to read on a phone.

You are left with a post that is:

-Informational 

-Accessible 

-Actionable 

Start there and repeat.

You will go far.