How Much Is Too Much?

Are You Overdoing It With Too Much Writing?

That Depends on What Your Goals Are

One of the most common things that I see other writers debate in their articles and within the comments here on our favorite writing platform is this: How often should you be publishing articles here on Medium?

I have an answer for you on this:

Whenever you damn well please.

What feels right to one writer and wrong to another has nothing to do with each other. Don’t listen to what anyone else thinks. Listen to your heart. Maybe your head, as well. Let me explain.

I’ve had quite a few people marvel at my output and consistency regarding my blogging here on Medium. I’ve written over 900 articles since I started two years ago. I was a brand new writer going into 2022.

I didn’t plan to write Blog #900+ in that short amount of time. I hadn’t set any kind of goals initially for my writing. Especially in terms of productivity and frequency that I’d be posting.

As I wrote those first 10 blogs or so in January, it became fun. Initially, I wasn’t sure what made for a good blog. I just wrote about a number of things I was interested in or told a story or two from the past. It was always entertaining for me.

As I’ve mentioned before, I took February of 2022 off from blogging almost entirely. I posted one new blog that month. I was busy doing content writing and making money. It paid far better than writing on Medium.

But I missed you guys. The ones that had been with me since the beginning in January. I missed your wonderful comments. I missed the feedback you’d leave about my writing. I missed reading your stuff.

Content writing was boring, by comparison. I became good at it because I was money-motivated and because I can write pretty automatically. I’ve never struggled with writing freely and easily. I knew that making money by only writing content for other companies would never make me feel satisfied and fulfilled.

So I came back to blogging in March. After one huge story made over $750, I was hooked. I needed to blog as much or more than doing content writing. It became a goal to write one solid blog every day. Then that turned into two each day. Now, 16 months into my Writer’s Journey, I sometimes write three a day.

Someone not long ago mentioned that I seem to be a one-man content mill. Their thinly veiled “compliment” suggested that perhaps I was writing TOO often. Putting too much pressure on myself. Perhaps I should slow down a bit, so people might better appreciate my writing by seeing it less often.

I can appreciate constructive criticism. But I also have the right to think that it’s bullshit.

Nobody knows better than you do what’s right for you regarding your writing. Nobody should dictate to you what you should and shouldn’t write about. I’ve had that type of negativity come my way. I’m quite outspoken against racism, bigotry, religion, and certain types of politics.

I haven’t made it this far by being a coward.

I say what I say and I stand behind my written words. If I feel I’ve made a mistake or have been too harsh, I apologize and I mean it. But I’ll be damned if I’m going to hitchhike during my Writer’s Journey.

Every step I take on this hopefully long road will be my own. I don’t plan to cater to anyone’s suggestions about my own personal Writer’s Journey unless I agree with what they’re saying. You shouldn’t, either.

I’m not here to be everyone’s best friend. Most people’s, certainly. But everyone’s? No. You will never please everyone as a writer. Especially if you have strong opinions that you are not afraid and unashamed to share.

I know who I am, what I stand for, and have the balls to say what I want even if it’s going to piss some people off. I’ve been all about that for decades. I hope that always shows as authenticity in my writing. You all will always receive my best efforts in writing. As frequently as I want to publish them.

I’ve learned that I love writing. I NEED to write. I have to do it daily, and it’s not because I’m greedy about my income. If that were the case, I’d still only be posting one blog a month here on Medium and making far more money doing content writing.

That’s not what fulfills me and feeds my soul. This blog writing does. As I’ve become more experienced with this style of writing and this platform, my energy, drive, and personal satisfaction haven’t diminished one bit. It’s growing.

I recently read that only four out of ten people walk around with an inner dialog running through their heads constantly. So that means six out of ten people don’t think constantly throughout their day.

I have to write. I have so much going on in my head. So many ideas, opinions, thoughts, and humorous things I think about. I rarely have a problem thinking of something to write about. Once I start, it moves quickly.

Perhaps I’ve found my sweet spot in writing two or three blogs daily. It may increase to three to four a day. Or diminish to once a day, or even once a week.

But that’s the beauty of our Writer’s Journey. It’s OUR Writer’s Journey. And while I’m super appreciative of all of your support and kind words, I do this for myself, first and foremost.

Hopefully, that sits well with most of you, because I’d rather have your kindness, support, and encouragement than not. Y’all are awesome. &:^)