avatarNiharikaa Kaur Sodhi

Summary

A writer shares their experience of increasing their writing output from 5 to 20 articles per month, leading to improved writing skills, more ideas, increased income, and greater confidence.

Abstract

The author of the article recounts their personal journey of doubling their monthly writing output, detailing the benefits and challenges encountered along the way. They began by setting a goal to write on weekdays, which led to a significant increase in their article count from February to March. Over time, the writer found that consistency made writing easier, and the act of writing regularly sparked a surge of new ideas. However, they also developed an unhealthy attachment to their laptop due to late-night writing sessions, which they eventually curbed by setting boundaries. The increased productivity resulted in higher-quality writing, leading to less frequent rejections and recognition from publications. This newfound confidence allowed the writer to break away from conventional writing rules and focus on more personal and essay-style pieces. Financially, the writer saw a substantial increase in income, nearly doubling it from February to March and even more so in April after being recognized as one of the top writers on their platform. The article concludes by encouraging readers to start writing today, emphasizing that even a small daily commitment can lead to significant improvements in writing and potential earnings.

Opinions

  • The writer believes that setting specific writing goals, such as writing on weekdays, is crucial for increasing output.
  • Consistency in writing is emphasized as a key factor in making the process feel less effortful over time.
  • More writing begets more ideas, suggesting that productivity fuels creativity.
  • The author warns against developing an unhealthy relationship with work tools, like a laptop, and stresses the importance of setting work-life boundaries.
  • Writing more frequently can lead to improved writing quality and a decrease in rejection rates.
  • Recognition and validation from publications can significantly boost a writer's confidence.
  • The writer advises that with increased confidence, one can afford to be less rigid about adhering to writing "rules" and can focus on more enjoyable and personal writing styles.
  • The financial benefits of increased writing output are highlighted, with the writer noting a near doubling of income over a few months.
  • The article suggests that the journey to becoming a better writer and potentially earning more is achievable by starting with just one day of writing.

Here’s What Happened When I Doubled My Writing Output

From 5 articles to 20 articles a month.

Photo by Ketut Subiyanto from Pexels

Are you a budding writer who’s trying to get better at writing? Does the advice you read comprise write every day and publish more? Are you tired of listening to the same monotonous advice?

Well, I tried the generic advice in my own way, and a lot changed. We’ll get to that soon.

Here’s what my output looks like for 2021:

  • January: 5
  • February: 6
  • March: 17
  • April: 20
  • May: 7 (this article written is on May 08, the goal is 20+ for the month)

Yes, I know 20 articles a month sounds cool, but it was a gradual journey if you see it.

Now, you may also notice the huge spike from February to March, what changed? I set a goal to write on weekdays, even if it’s just a little. I wrote this in my notebook and the intention that I plan to do this helped me turn it into action.

Here’s what I learnt from cultivating this writing habit over the past 2 months:

  1. Consistency makes writing effortless. After pushing myself for the first 2 weeks, I could get on the table and type easily for the coming weeks. I didn’t feel demotivated or lazy, nor did I procrastinate as I did earlier. So get out of your comfort zone for 14 days because what feels difficult initially will become effortless, slowly but surely.
  2. More writing = more ideas. Next time when you see somebody asking where should they get ideas from, see how much they’ve written. Often what I see is that this question comes from those who’ve hardly written. When you write, you will have more things to write about because you are in your space and your creative energy is out. Just write, and more writing will follow.
  3. I developed an unhealthy relationship with my laptop. Because of the above two points, I wrote almost every day and late evenings. This was unhealthy because I started losing sleep, which got me brain-fogged to edit the next morning. Now, my laptop shuts at 8:30 pm every day and rests away from me on Sunday. It’s important to not overdose, even if it’s just ten more minutes.
  4. My confidence spiked. Since I wrote more, I also improved my quality. Now, my rejection rate decreased massively and my work has been showcased in publications’ newsletters and Editor’s Picks. My confidence in my skills really went up with this recognition and validation, and now I know in my heart that I’m a capable writer on my way to becoming a better one.
  5. I stopped following the rules. This happened because my confidence spiked. Any platform that you write on, you know there are certain rules for what works and what doesn’t. Everybody runs after these rules to get more views and engagement (and perhaps money). But now, because I’m confident and I write well, I started having fun instead of following the rules. More essays, fewer listicles; more personal anecdotes, less standard topics.
  6. Honey, you obviously clicked this for the money. I won’t mention absolute numbers, but I have almost doubled my money from Feb to March and March to April. This happened in a mere two months! In April, it's more than double, but that’s because my writing platform rewarded its top 1000 writers. It honoured me to be of service to my readers.

In short, writing more will help you massively with:

  1. Improving your craft of writing
  2. Pumping more ideas
  3. (Probably) pumping in wealth

How can you start? There’s only one answer, and that’s by writing today.

Hey, I know you’re busy. I know there’s a lot on your shoulders. I know you have a lot of things to do and it’s hard to make time. But if you’ve read it this far, I also know that you have a burning desire to write and get it out there. You’ve held it in you for so long, don’t hold it in anymore. Let it out.

It’s scary in the beginning, but it’s worth it. You may feel your writing isn’t good enough to put it out there, or writing X amount of articles is difficult. Forget those thoughts and those numbers, just focus on one article and writing for one day. And carry on this thought for the next day, and the next one.

So will you try to spare some time and unleash your creativity, just for today?

Subscribe to my (free) weekly newsletter about health, travel, and personal development — https://niharikasodhi.substack.com/

If you enjoyed reading this, you might like:

Writing
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Advice
Self Improvement
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