In order to be able to write, you need to have something you actually want to say on something you are actually interested in. Writing, is about expressing ideas, so you need some sort of idea, and then you need strong convictions and opinions surrounding that idea. What you DON'T need, is to be unique, smart or good at the technical aspects of writing. If you believe this to sound wrong, just read an Op-Ed in NYT.
You also have to face the idea, that maybe you actually don't want to write. HN is obsessed with writing for the sole reason that it ostensibly builds clout and ultimately makes you more money and validates you as "an important person".
If after all of this, you still want to write, but you really don't have a strong opinion or idea, choose a topic, research it, and share it.
Also, again maybe you need to expand your interests and try and pick an ideology so that you have opinions on things. Listen to a lot of people/podcasts/books with strong opinions, form friend groups with people with strong opinions, fight them on their ideas by researching counters to their opinions. Take stances and argue from a position that you don't believe, etc. This could be anything from gender in tech, to free markets vs regulated markets, to TDD is good vs TDD is bad, to Remote is good vs Remote is bad, etc, etc.
Agree with this. I felt the same about writing, but eventually found that having strong feelings about my chosen topic helps a lot.
I’ve never been able to write for the sake of writing, so I only author posts when I feel strongly about the topic. There are days or weeks when I don’t care to write anything and that’s ok. Eventually you run across something interesting and BAM, you can barely type fast enough to keep up with your thoughts.
You also have to face the idea, that maybe you actually don't want to write. HN is obsessed with writing for the sole reason that it ostensibly builds clout and ultimately makes you more money and validates you as "an important person".
If after all of this, you still want to write, but you really don't have a strong opinion or idea, choose a topic, research it, and share it.
Also, again maybe you need to expand your interests and try and pick an ideology so that you have opinions on things. Listen to a lot of people/podcasts/books with strong opinions, form friend groups with people with strong opinions, fight them on their ideas by researching counters to their opinions. Take stances and argue from a position that you don't believe, etc. This could be anything from gender in tech, to free markets vs regulated markets, to TDD is good vs TDD is bad, to Remote is good vs Remote is bad, etc, etc.