Summary

The article encourages writers to persevere in their craft despite fears and challenges, emphasizing that writing is a journey worth pursuing for the love of the art and the potential to connect with an audience.

Abstract

The text is a motivational piece addressing writers who are contemplating pursuing writing full-time. It acknowledges the common fears and doubts associated with leaving a stable job for a freelance writing career, including financial insecurity and societal disapproval. The author reassures readers that these feelings are normal and that the path to success in writing is paved with perseverance, hard work, and the willingness to embrace failure as a stepping stone to improvement. The article emphasizes the importance of finding one's unique voice and building an authentic connection with readers, suggesting that the true reward of writing lies in the impact it has on others and the personal growth it fosters, rather than solely in monetary gain.

Opinions

Writing is portrayed as a passion that requires courage to pursue, especially when considering a transition from a stable job to freelancing.
The fear of failure and the societal pressure to maintain a traditional job are significant barriers for aspiring writers.
Freelance writing is not for the faint-hearted; it demands resilience and the ability to withstand periods of doubt and financial instability.
The author believes that every writer starts with subpar work but can improve through consistent effort and practice.
Success in writing comes from hard work and learning from failures, not from seeking shortcuts.
There is an emphasis on the importance of authenticity in writing and the value of connecting with readers on a personal level.
The article suggests that the journey of writing is enriched by the audience's appreciation and the writer's personal development, not just financial rewards.
Writers are encouraged to document their learning journey and to remember their goals and motivations when facing challenges in their writing career.

Don’t Ever Stop Writing

To all writers out there, this is for you.

Do you feel that?

That little tugging sensation on your heart?

Something is pulling you to change, but you’re unsure what it is. Not to make confessions, but to switch directions, to embrace your calling, to finally do what you mean to do:

Write.

Writing is that passion you are finally brave enough to pursue.

Ideas fill inside you. You sense them desperately trying to escape. You know it’s time to set them free, crafting them into pieces of art for the world to enjoy.

But you fear.

The thought of quitting your stable 9–5 office job sends shivers down your spine. Being a freelance writer means forgoing living with a safety net and worry-free life. You think about the disapproving, doubting looks on your family and friends’ faces when you identify yourself as a freelancer. Get a proper job, they say. You worry about having not enough food on the table and income to foot your incurring bills. You’re not ready to give it all up for your passion- writing.

And the greatest thing that is stopping you?

You’re afraid you’re wrong about yourself.

What if you are doing this for nothing? Your selfishness will cause the loss of income for your family. The worrying never stops.

Freelancing is not for the faint-hearted. Are you up for the challenge to continue writing even when it seems like your writing isn’t appreciated in the online world? If your answer is no, then sorry, freelancing isn’t for you. If your answer is yes, welcome to the world of freelancing, where you can make money from your passion.

There are bound to be days when you are on the verge of giving up. Maybe the doubters are right. Perhaps you are too naive to believe you could earn something solely from writing. This entire thing about freelancing is wrong, to begin with. Why are you a fool venturing into this career path, when it’s not even a considered a job in the first place.

Well, I’m here to tell you this: keep it going no matter what. Don’t let uncertainty beat you. Yes, freelancing is an unconventional path to take. You have to seek clients instead of having them reach out to you. Yes, you suck in the beginning. You can’t seem to put words together. Everyone’s writing suck; including mine. I’m no writer with fancy words. I’m a writer with short words that aims to leave a lasting impact on my readers. I go straight to the point, no beating around the bush.

As quoted from fellow Medium writer Ayodeji Awosika, “How is it that we all have access to the same 26 letters, yet we come up with totally different ways of combing them?”

When I discovered my love for writing, it never stopped even though I sucked at it. Deep inside me, I firmly believe my writings will turn into beautiful pieces of art in the near future. For that to happen, I must work my way towards it; no matter how rocky the journey may be.

“There is no elevator to success, you have to take the stairs.” -Zig Ziglar

If there is no hard work, there will be no fruit of the labour to collect. As a writer, you are subjected to failure anytime in your writing journey. Each time you fail, get up and try again. Each time you retry, you are one step closer to success. Don’t let failure discourage you from writing new pieces. There is an audience for your art; they just haven’t found you yet. Continue to venture out seeking your audience, and when you eventually find them, the reward is for you to keep.

Failure is the stairs you climb to success.

Give yourself time to figure out your writing style, find your voice and audience. If you do have an audience, your little family is growing every day. Every writing deserves a chance to be published. Readers are the judges of writing, not the author. Once you’ve finished editing your piece, hit publish and forget about it. You’re lying if you say money is not your motivation to write. But, is money the only reason to keep writing and publishing? Why not document your learning journey with writing? Think about the little audience you’ve built from writing. You’ve come this far, and now it’s not the time to give up.

When in doubt, remind yourself what keeps you going. What’s that goal you want to achieve from doing what you love?

Reach out to readers from your heart and soul. They’ll appreciate your authenticity. People follow you for who you are and what you represent. Stand firm and the spotlight will come to you.

Remember, writing is an art to master. Great artworks do not happen overnight. You need to keep doing it until you perfect it.

To all writers out there, thank you for choosing to write and creating art for the world to enjoy. Writing is a lifelong journey, and let us go through it together.

Thanks for reading!