# Data-Driven Writing Data-driven writing is the school of thought that [[Writing]], even creative writing, should be informed or enhanced in some way by previously-gathered facts. These facts are internal _and_ external, and can tell writers when to keep digging. The ideal writing niche incorporates both internal and external data. ## Gathering data ### Make noise The first step in gathering data is creating work and putting it out there, regardless of how polished it is. Think of published work as data points rather than perfect or polished treaties. The key is to make a *lot* of noise, and *especially* earlier on in your writing journey. ### Listen for signals The next step is to listen for signals, or the data, and let those signals guide you in deciding what to write about next. ## What kind of data? ### Internal Internal data is about how you, the writer, feel about your own work: - Ease: How easy was it to write that? - Enjoyment: Did I have fun writing that? ### External External data can be gathered by publishing small, atomic work and listening for the response. This could be things like: - Comments - Retweets or shares - Direct Messages - Likes - Views - Any sort of engagement measure ## Resources - [[Ship 30 for 30]]