Why beginner web developers should write as much as possible

I'm a big fan of writing as a way to reinforce the things you learn, celebrate your successes, learn from mistakes, help others, and see how far you've come. In fact, I believe in the discipline of chronicling your learning journey enough to make it a key feature of the future of New Method. I already have two aspiring web developers lined up to blog their learning journey on New Method and hope to have many more. I want New Method to be a place where beginner web developers can talk about their journey, the personal side of it, not just the technical side of it.

Writing about your learning journey shouldn't be hard, either. It should feel natural. It should feel like updating a friend about how your newfound education is coming along. So, because I like lists, here are a few ideas of things your can write about while you're learning web development:

• When you get stuck - Tell us when you get stuck. Explain why you got stuck. Describe what got you stuck. Write about your failed methods for getting unstuck.


• When you get unstuck - Tell us when you get you figure out an answer to a problem. Link to the resources that helped you. Give a shout-out to the people that helped you. Recap your steps to find a solution.


• When you finish a project - Write about your process. Explain the purpose behind the project. Tell us what you learned while you built it. Tell us what worked and didn't work.


• When you learn something new - Tell us why you learned it. Tell us how you'll use it in the future. Write out the most interesting aspect of your new knowledge. Give us a code sample to show off your excellence.


• When you find a new tool - Tell us how it works. Explain why it's important. Describe how it fits into the life of a web developer. Maybe even detail alternatives, if you've found some.


• When you need to vent - Sometimes you just need to rant about something that's frustrating you. That's fine, too. We understand.

There's a bunch more that you could write about; this is just a sampling. Write on your own blog or write for New Method. Just write.