Hi everyone!
I wrote this article in 2021, but if you’re new to writing and are confused, I know this will help because I was lost and scared when I stated. And all the how-to articles never helped.
Here it goes:
I am new to writing and hence taking advice from every source I can get to improve my writing. I don’t have any writing experience except Medium and writing is a skill that takes time. So, my goal from the start was to improve my writing skills.
To achieve that I have read so many articles on how to be a better writer, what to do and what not to do, success stories of other people, and advice from experienced writers, that my medium feed looks like this.
Almost all of these articles were helpful. Every person has some significant piece of advice — on routine, how much to write, how frequently you should write, which publications you should submit to, and how to go viral.
There are even articles about how much they earned and how they were doing as a full-time writer.
The result for me was stress.
I ended up overthinking each one of my articles. It took me hours to write one article, then it’ll keep sitting in my drafts before submitting. I would dread rejection because it meant I was doing something wrong.
When I joined Medium, I didn’t think that I would start earning instantaneously. I knew it would take time and I am ready to give it that time. Then I started reading articles about how I earned this amount of money, and how I quit my job after 5 months of writing on Medium.
All I keep thinking is am I doing wrong?
Some articles I wrote took me two to three days to write.
Reading different research and compiling the data.
Also, being new at writing means I am still learning and I take time to write. So check and recheck your work for errors. I check my article through Grammarly and ProWritingAid twice before the final submission.
How are you writing one article daily?
Every writer who has written these articles means well.
They want to help others by sharing their experience so we don’t make the same mistakes. I really have learned some things after reading these articles, but I think my overthinking ruined it.
I keep reminding myself that everyone has their own journey. I love writing and I will enjoy the process, not compare my stats to other writers.
If you are like me, then stop reading the how-to articles. This is what I will do from now on, and I hope this is helpful. This sounds like a how-to article line.
Find a routine of my own
I cannot write one article a day. I do the majority of my writing on weekends because I don’t have time on weekdays. Then I edit those drafts on weekdays and submit them for publication.
I don’t know what other person's life looks like, what their routine is. So, scheduling my writing like that will never work for me or anyone.
Consistency
I have this terrible habit of not doing anything when I get sad. Recently, I have been sad a lot. I stop writing altogether during this time. I will try to write more and write daily to build a habit.
Work hard but don’t expect results right away
As a new writer, I am standing at the foot of a mountain. The mountain is the journey of a writer. I cannot compare myself to writers who are at the top or even in the middle of their climb.
I have taken two steps on the mountain and I want a helicopter to take me to the top. That’s not a good idea. Because I will not improve this way. I want to be a talented writer, not just a famous one. I have to go through the process to be better.
Even a small win is a win
If I was born in the 1800s, I would probably publish my article in some newspaper. I don’t think anyone will even publish my work. No one would have published this article, for example. Imagine writing on a typewriter, checking your errors yourself, and taking your article to each publication after traveling for hours and then getting rejected. I am suddenly glad I was not born in the 1800s.
So, even two people reading your article is a success. We just have to realize it.
Don’t compare your success to others
We all know it still we do it. We have to stop the comparison. I had no writing experience before Medium. Grammarly is a life savior.
Maybe my writing is not that good yet and I don’t mind. I am still learning, so I would stop this toxic behavior of comparing myself to others. They have learned, and so they are doing well.
One can’t pass the exam before studying. I am still studying.
Everyone wants results. If you look closely at your stats, you are probably getting results too. I know I am. But we can’t have the results fast. We can’t get good at what we do overnight. It takes time, patience, and consistency. I will stay positive and keep doing what I love — writing.
P.S. This article was originally published on Medium.
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I’ll see you next week,
Sushmita