4 Ways to Differentiate Your Writing
Being different, not better
🏷️ Categories: Writing, Creativity, Geography.
“An increase in navigation accuracy leads to a higher risk of collision.”
At first glance, the phrase might sound contradictory—but it makes sense. It's the navigation paradox, which explains why improved accuracy in transportation routes can, ironically, increase the risk of collisions. As more and more routes are concentrated into a few optimal paths, traffic density in that space increases—and with it, the probability of accidents (Reich, 1997).
If you think about it, this paradox teaches us a crucial lesson that goes beyond physical movement. It’s also about how we navigate creativity.
The Main Road is Overcrowded
When a route is the most efficient, it eventually becomes saturated. More planes, ships, and cars. Everyone follows the same path because it’s optimal—the shortcut.
Until the route is so full that progress becomes impossible.
This happens at every level, including creativity. Whether it's painting, music, photography, film, writing, or sculpture—it doesn’t matter. In every field, thousands compete for the top spot, to stand out. And the more people follow "successful" paths, the higher the risk of becoming indistinguishable from the rest.
What Will You Do?
There are 2 paths:
The first is to compete. The second is to differentiate.
1. Compete
Competing means taking the same highway everyone else is on, trying to stand out with just a slight edge. It’s playing the same game as everyone else—and there are two big problems:
Fierce Competition: It's a highway to the lowest common denominator. A 1% difference can separate the top few from the other 99%. It's incredibly hard to shine.
Stagnation: The more popular a path becomes, the faster it loses its appeal. No one remembers the imitator, but everyone remembers the one who innovated first.
2. Differentiate
If you want to truly stand out, you need to exit the highway and explore paths that few have dared to walk. It'll be harder, you’ll make mistakes—but the rewards are big:
Zero competition: The moment you step away from the mainstream and choose to stand out, you're no longer competing. You have all the space to create freely.
Originality: Creating something different instantly makes you the expert in that space.
Same effort, more impact: Original ideas leave a lasting impression because they surprise us—they break the mold. It’s much easier to be memorable doing something new than trying to be better at what’s already been done.
How do we make these abstract ideas real?
Check out these alternative paths to understand what I mean.
1. Change the Plot or Setting
Writing a detective novel? Great—but avoid the same old clichés: lone detectives, London backdrops, plots we’ve seen a thousand times.
Think of a unique setting: how about a murder in the Qing dynasty’s imperial court during the fall of China’s last dynasty? Or a sci-fi story where the crime happens on a newly founded space colony? Instead of sticking to established tropes, create a world that’s as captivating as the mystery itself.
Your goal isn’t just to solve the crime—it’s to immerse the reader in a new universe.
2. Change the Audience
Cookbooks are everywhere.
But what about a recipe book for college students on a tight budget who want to eat healthy? You could include cheap ingredients, easy step-by-step instructions for beginners, and a quick meals section. Or, if you're into fitness, make a cookbook full of high-protein recipes for people who work out—organized by training phases.
You don’t need to be universal—you need to be essential to a specific group.
3. Change the Tone
Imagine a philosophy book that reads like a chat with a friend.
Forget academic jargon and endless paragraphs. Explain complex concepts like Kant’s “categorical imperative” using everyday examples: “It’s like when you choose not to lie to your friend, even if lying would make your life easier in the moment.” Add humor, modern analogies, and punchlines that make readers laugh while they learn. By removing the language barrier, you open the door for many more people to step into a world they’d otherwise never enter.
The trick is to think like a reader, not like a writer.
Ask yourself: How can I say the same thing in a different way?
4 Strategies to Stand Out
1. Find Your Own Audience
Instead of writing for the masses, focus on a specific group. For example, if you write historical fiction, you could target:
Kids, with stories that mix fun and learning.
Immigrants, telling tales that reflect their lived experiences.
Travel lovers, focusing the narrative on the setting’s exploration.
The more specific you are, the easier it is to become #1 in that niche. Remember: you don’t need a massive audience—just one that values you deeply.
2. Mix Unexpected Genres
Innovation happens at the edges. Try blending genres that usually don’t go together. For example:
Noir + sci-fi
Self-help + humor
Cooking + productivity
These combos grab attention and carve out new creative territory.
3. Use a Distinctive Tone
Tone is one of the most powerful ways to stand out. If most creators in your field are formal and serious, try something radically different:
A lighthearted, humorous tone
A narrative voice that speaks directly to the reader
A poetic, minimalist style instead of long descriptions
The goal is for your tone to be so recognizable that someone could read one line and know you wrote it—even if the topic isn’t new.
4. Erase the Beaten Paths
Make a list of your genre’s clichés, and try to avoid every single one:
If everyone’s using AI-generated images, try hand-drawn illustrations.
If everyone posts on Fridays, post on Tuesdays.
If everyone writes long pieces, be short and punchy.
The key is to avoid the popular paths and force yourself to find unique, meaningful solutions.
Fail, Learn, Adjust Your Course
Nobody finds their voice or style right away.
Exploration means making mistakes, getting lost, and veering off course. But those are the moments where the real ideas are born. If you define progress only by success or failure, you’ve already lost focus.
Geniuses don’t worry about being wrong—they just explore and learn from the process.
Not all who wander are lost.
So next time you’re looking for ideas, ask yourself:
Am I on the same highway as everyone else, or forging my own path?
If it’s the latter, you’re headed in the right direction.
✍️ Your Turn: What clichés or overused patterns in your area could you break to stand out with originality? How could you apply these strategies to stand out in your own field or current project? Drop a comment—I’d love to hear from you. :)
💭 Quote of the Day: "People who know how to break the rules creatively also understand why the rules existed in the first place." —Richard Rohr, Falling Upward
See you next time! 👋
📚 References:
Reich, P. G. (1997). Analysis of Long-Range Air Traffic Systems: Separation Standards — I. Journal of Navigation, 50(3), 436-447.