how writing can help you learn and think better

Photo of my copy of Writing To Learn by William Zinsser

One of my favourite books of 2024 was William Zinsser’s Writing to Learn. In his book, Zinsser highlights the connection between writing as a tool for learning, regardless of the subject.

Most people perceive writing solely as a creative pursuit, which I disagree with. Writing is a tool for communicating ideas; depending on the domain, it can be equally creative, informative, and technical. 

Without writing, we wouldn’t have theories and their applications; without theory and the ability to communicate those theories effectively, we wouldn’t have the world we live in today. 

If reading is a method of consuming information, then writing is how we solidify our understanding of the information consumed. So, if you want to become a better learner and thinker, you first need to learn how to leverage writing as a tool to help you. 

Why writing can help you become a better learner

Writing enhances your memory

When you learn something new, your brain begins to restructure, otherwise known as neuroplasticity. 

Once information is received, it is sent to different parts of the brain for various functions (ex, the hippocampus for memory formation, the prefrontal cortex for decision-making). The information you learn forms new neurons and synaptic connections in your brain, communicating with each other via chemical signals.

If you continue to repeat the information learned, you strengthen the synapses between the neurons, which increases your memory and makes the information easier to remember. 

If you don’t repeat the information learned, the synapses begin to prune (otherwise known as synaptic pruning), and you eventually eliminate the unused neural connections to make room for new ones. In other words, you slowly forget what you just learned. 

This is where writing can be an effective tool to solidify our learning. 

Let’s say you finished reading a book. You can either immediately jump into a new book or you can take the time to reflect and write about the one you just read.

If you start a new book immediately, without reflecting on the book you just read, you begin to form new neuron and synaptic connections. Consequently, the information from the previous book begins to fade (synaptic pruning).

On the other hand, by writing about what you’ve learned, you’re strengthening the existing neural connections in your brain. The more you repeat what you’ve learned, the stronger those neural connections become, making it easier to recall that exact information.

Organize your thoughts to think more clearly

One of my favourite quotes in Zinsser’s book is, “Anyone who thinks clearly should be able to write clearly – about any subject at all.”

Writing about a subject simply without overcomplication indicates that you have a strong understanding of it. Conversely, being unable to write about a subject signals both to you and the reader that your comprehension of the topic still needs work. 

“Writing is a tool that enables people in every discipline to wrestle with facts and ideas…It compels us by the repeated effort of language to go after those thoughts and to organize them and present them clearly.” William Zinsser

Writing can help you organize your thoughts, taking the intangible and making it tangible. It forces you to structure your information and ideas in a linear format that makes the most sense. When you write, you’re laying out all your existing information and confronting it, leaving room to dissect, synthesize, and challenge what’s presented.

Writing can help you identify your knowledge gaps

Albert Einstein once said, “If you can’t explain it simply, then you don’t know it well enough.” 

What I’d like to add to this quote is that discovering that you don’t know something well enough is a great thing. 

For example, say you decide to write an article about climate change, and you’re having trouble explaining why fossil fuels are bad for the environment. 

The mere fact that you can’t explain the impact of fossil fuels on the environment signals to your brain that you don’t know it well enough, so you have to conduct more research to understand it. 

You then research the process and impact of fossil fuels on the environment and write it down as simply as possible (and in your own words). Without fully realizing it, you’ve just closed a knowledge gap and strengthened your understanding of a subject.

Now, when discussing climate change with a friend, you can explain why fossil fuels harm the environment instead of only saying they‘re harmful to the environment because they’re bad. 

So, not only have you closed a knowledge gap you probably wouldn’t have known existed unless you wrote or spoke about the subject, but you can now explain your thinking without confusing yourself or the other person.

“Reading, writing, and thinking are all integrated..an idea can have value in itself, but its usefulness diminishes to the extent that you can’t articulate it to someone else.” Kevin Bryne

How To Use Writing As A Tool For Learning

Create an information/learning journal 

When I started reading books, I had trouble retaining the information, so I bought a blank journal and started writing down all the key concepts, lessons, and ideas I learned from each book. Eventually, I turned the information I had into content, which is where the creation of my book page, Books and Things Explained, came from. 

Photo of my information journals over the years (2020-present)

Here’s how to start an information or learning journal

• Buy a blank journal (physical) or start a Google Drive or Notion, where you’ll input all your information. I recommend writing instead of typing, but to each their own. 

• Split the information into groups. I split my journals into books (non-fiction and fiction), miscellaneous, and learning goals (ex. Economics, Arabic, French)

• Dedicate a set time to write in your journal or do it whenever (depending on your seriousness or discipline). I bring my journal everywhere so I can write whenever I want. But if life gets too busy, I dedicate my Saturday and Sunday mornings to reviewing what I’ve read in books and writing them down in my journal.

Apply and share what you’ve learned

Once you’ve gathered your information in your journal, take it one step further and write about it in a structured format. Your preferred format is entirely up to you, but depending on the subject matter, I recommend writing either a blog post or an essay (mini, argumentative, expository, etc.).

My following recommendation is also to publish your writing. 

I know not everyone is comfortable sharing their work with the world, but as someone who has created content related to what I’ve learned for the past four years, it’s not as daunting as it may seem. In fact, people are generally very appreciative and receptive to those who do.

Ultimately, it’s your choice whether or not you want to share what you’ve learned. But I firmly believe that writing and learning are incredible tools for connecting us with others, so you should publish your writing (because you’ll never know who’ll benefit).

Conclusion 

Taking the time to write about what you've learned helps solidify your understanding and makes it easier to recall later. By reflecting on your knowledge, sharing your insights, and recognizing where gaps remain, you develop not only clarity of thought but also the intellectual humility that drives deeper learning. In the end, this process makes you a sharper, more strategic thinker.