Plus simple advice any writer needs to hear today.
Write because you are fueled by ideas that amuse you. It doesn’t matter the scope — current events, the Internet of things, the psychological aspects of pop culture, or life hacks. Vox populi aside, just keep scribbling because you know you can offer beyond the average two cents on something you have your eyes for.
Write to express not just to impress. To be fair, we’re guilty to have created online content as a clout boost at least once. Remember when you spent a week rewriting your listicle about 10 Vegan Recipes That Will Put Masterchef To Shame because 80% of your feed is going ooh and ahh over the wonders of a plant-based diet? The shares, the likes, all the vanity metrics known to mankind skyrocketed just as soon as you published and promoted on your platforms. What bliss!
But here comes the hard-hitting question: did you write it just because you want to make bank off what keeps everyone buzzing or you want to dig deeper into something that is previously foreign but has since piqued your curiosity?
Whatever the reason behind your written word, do remember that more people are inclined to engage if they’re reading a page straight out of your personal experiences including real-life dilemmas. There’s nothing quite like the satisfaction of being deemed as more trustworthy when you help others with your testimony. From your keyboard to their screens.
(Am I using my own variation of “From A’s mouth to B’s ears” here?)
Just to be clear, there is nothing wrong writing for a living or as a side gig. As long as you are doing it because it is something that sparks joy, more power to you!
Write out of love and artistry, write because it keeps you going, write because you challenge others to be their best selves.
Write bravely. Bad grammar, misspellings, awkward wordings and other literal disasters are undisputed no-no’s. Yet it is fine to be overly conscious about using per se in a sentence. Cliched but mistakes, despite our deep hatred for it, are critical in our growth as a writer.
If you feel like your first draft is crap, so be it. You are free to edit, polish half-bake ideas and rewrite as much as you can – no harm at all.
That said, a blunder shouldn’t stop your ideas from flowing until they make their way to your writing medium of choice.
Needless to say, not everyone will either agree or love what you write. Don’t lose sleep over what critics have to say about your work. Besides, why are you still typing or scribbling when your motivation is largely dependent on their opinions?
That’s enough talking for today.
Grab a pen. Switch your laptop on. Go write your heart out.
