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Abstract

ollower count by 60-something in just over a week — from low 100's to high 100’s.Some days, I wrote 5 or 6 articles in a row. I still have half a dozen awaiting publication in different places, on topics from climate change to (ir)religion to my personal life.The productivity has been insane on this platform, and it’s filled me with hope for my freelancing future — some day when $30 is more like$ 3000.However, I had a call last week that changed my plans for the rest of August. It was a call with a professional writer and editor, an alumna from my university that I reached out to via a networking platform, to ask for advice.She was lovely, and so very helpful — I can’t recommend enough to start-outs like me to touch base with some people further down the road, if you can. Just drop them a message on LinkedIn or an email, and I guarantee most will be happy to oblige.We chatted, she gave me her background and some recommendations for my future, and so forth.Then I asked the all-important million-dollar question: “What question haven’t I asked that you’d want me to?”Her answer:<blockquote id="34fa">“Well, it’s not so much a question you haven’t asked. But there is one mistake that almost every entry-level journalist and writer I have met makes. They don’t

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read enough.”</blockquote>They don’t read enough.So, I’m leaving the platform for two weeks. I’m going away with family for a bit, I’ll be on a tech detox, and I’ll read actual physical books. I used to do so all the time, and while I did read Targeted by Brittany Kaiser a few weeks ago, I have certainly felt myself getting sucked away into my own writing at the expense of actually appreciating someone else’s words.So, here’s the deal: I will read as many books as I can for a fortnight, and I’ll carry on reading afterwards (until I inevitably go back to university in October, which normally halts my progress). I will be reading as much as I can from authors who know more than me, writers who write better than me, and thinkers that have thought harder than I have about topics I want to explore in my articles.When I come back, I hope that my writing will be significantly improved — or, if not, that I know far more than I did before.Let this be a reminder, then, to all the writers out there.Remember to read.See you in two weeks! I’ll doubtless have some book reviews and travel diaries from Slovenia to share. And some articles I have pre-written will be uploaded in the meantime. :-)— Rory</article></body>

Goodbye (for a Fortnight…)

I got some important advice from a professional writer recently. So I’m heading out for a while.

I am leaving Medium for two weeks.

If you’ve recently followed me, you’ll perhaps know that I have been publishing at least twice a day for weeks. A few things happened as a result.

My stats have skyrocketed. I got an article shared, randomly, on a Facebook page with nearly a million followers that I have nothing to do with.

I got shared on a Facebook page with almost a million followers, and my stats shot right up.

I have gone from making pennies for an entire year to having made over $30 in 10 days. Still not a lot of money, but substantially more than I made before.

I also increased my follower count by 60-something in just over a week — from low 100's to high 100’s.

Some days, I wrote 5 or 6 articles in a row. I still have half a dozen awaiting publication in different places, on topics from climate change to (ir)religion to my personal life.

The productivity has been insane on this platform, and it’s filled me with hope for my freelancing future — some day when $30 is more like $3000.

However, I had a call last week that changed my plans for the rest of August. It was a call with a professional writer and editor, an alumna from my university that I reached out to via a networking platform, to ask for advice.

She was lovely, and so very helpful — I can’t recommend enough to start-outs like me to touch base with some people further down the road, if you can. Just drop them a message on LinkedIn or an email, and I guarantee most will be happy to oblige.

We chatted, she gave me her background and some recommendations for my future, and so forth.

Then I asked the all-important million-dollar question: “What question haven’t I asked that you’d want me to?”

Her answer:

“Well, it’s not so much a question you haven’t asked. But there is one mistake that almost every entry-level journalist and writer I have met makes. They don’t read enough.”

They don’t read enough.

So, I’m leaving the platform for two weeks. I’m going away with family for a bit, I’ll be on a tech detox, and I’ll read actual physical books. I used to do so all the time, and while I did read Targeted by Brittany Kaiser a few weeks ago, I have certainly felt myself getting sucked away into my own writing at the expense of actually appreciating someone else’s words.

So, here’s the deal: I will read as many books as I can for a fortnight, and I’ll carry on reading afterwards (until I inevitably go back to university in October, which normally halts my progress). I will be reading as much as I can from authors who know more than me, writers who write better than me, and thinkers that have thought harder than I have about topics I want to explore in my articles.

When I come back, I hope that my writing will be significantly improved — or, if not, that I know far more than I did before.

Let this be a reminder, then, to all the writers out there.

Remember to read.

See you in two weeks! I’ll doubtless have some book reviews and travel diaries from Slovenia to share. And some articles I have pre-written will be uploaded in the meantime. :-)

— Rory