Writing | Reflection
How Did I Get Chosen for Further Distribution…?
Recognition does feel good …
There are 2 different types of interpretation for the question header. The first one comes from an angle of surprise, and the other comes from a post-event reflection.
I have been writing for a while now, and I have written close to 550+ pieces of work. I am not going to lie. There are days where I question the utility of my time and my goals.
That is one way of saying, Why am I doing this damn thing?
My thoughts are simple, really.
I thought I can give this a go. Wilful, am I not?
I know I can be. I wanted to know what I can do, what I cannot do, what I can do well in, what I totally suck at.
It turns out that writing is one of those things that I need to cough out more blood to get better.
I remember attending Chemistry classes 20+ years ago. No matter how hard I played with the yellow gases and transparent tubes, the gas molecules refused to connect and produce the theoretical results required.
The end result?
I memorized all the tiny cubes in the Periodic Table.
For some reason, writing reminds me of that. When we are not good at what we want to do — We look to our idols and attempt to replicate their blueprint for success.
It requires losing ourselves to be good at what others are good at.
Do I regret it?
No, I do not.
I am still in disbelief.
Deep down, I still think that it is a fluke.
A 101%.
I was on an emotional roller-coaster yesterday as work progress has been choppy. At the same time, I have been struggling to find time to write.
The struggle did not come from the act of writing. That has been drilled in as part of my daily routine. I am trying to figure out how to write daily when work commitments got crazy. It is a time-energy equation I am trying to crack.
Of course, dismal results have been discouraging.
I kept my statistics aside and dug in. This is a learned behavior. I learned to not check the results of daily effort. Focusing on progress beats getting beaten by dismal results.
I am only human.
Yesterday turns out to be my lucky day. I received an email from the Medium Writer Program. The header of the email reads the following: -
“Your Story has been recommended on Medium.”
It was an email notification popping out at the corner of my laptop while traded the financial markets. That header was new to me, so I clicked on that notification for a complete read.
I was surprised.
Imagine attending an awards night when you got nominated for Best Newcomer.
Would you fumble on your speech if you have to take the stage? I think so. Lucky it does not apply to me. I just do what I do each morning. I write.
I get to articulate my thoughts in long-form without rushing through them.
You Don’t Want to Hear This but Writing A LOT Helps
Everyone starts at a different starting point.
Where we begin from dictates the amount of effort to be invested. All writing superstars say 5 years of commitment will do the trick. I believe in it, especially when I had to start from -100.
My earlier stories were … unbelievable. Not in a good way, by the way. Take a look at this, this, and this. Maybe this one too.
Did I write them? Oh. My. Gosh. And, we need this process of evolution.
Evolution did not happen in a day. It took thousands of years. It took 10,000 years to get down from trees to the pavement.
I could not sense any difference between my recently published stories from the selected one chosen for further distribution.
I could, however, see the difference between the chosen story and those I wrote 8 months ago.
That proves my point.
Day-to-day improvements are minute and not immediately visible.
It took me 550+ stories.
You Need Help at the Beginning — So Seek Help
You cannot tell that your zipper is unzipped.
It takes a kindred soul to whisper into your ear that your lower body is well ventilated.
I started out with self-publication until Shreya Badonia pointed to me that seeking publications for help is the way to go. I did not resist her suggestion. I went along with it.
I am grateful to ILLUMINATION and their editors for extending their olive branch to a dud. I suspect that Liam Ireland puked a bucket of O+ red liquid by the side of his Chabudai.
It is the same for Maria Rattray. She might have suspected that I came from Mars since I routinely struggle with sprinkling beansprout-like lexicons in my stories.
Yes, it is something known as Oxford Commas. They are a pain in the ass. Mine, to be exact.
Liam and Maria have been patient with a dud.
Thank you, Terry L. Cooper, for laughing at my stories too!
Now, I am not saying that you cannot write. If you are struggling with writing, as we all do, I do recommend having editors support you at the earlier stages of your writing attempts.
I know Esther George will not like me to say this, but honestly, Esther is Esther. She writes well. I have to write more. We find ways to push ourselves for the better.
I want to express my gratitude to Dr Mehmet Yildiz and Dr. Christine Bradstreet for hosting my stories in their publications for the past 8 months.
They gave me the confidence to continue writing.
Learn from the Best in Town — But Who?
Duh!
We know that!
I know you know that.
My point is, how do you know which writer superstar you want to model after?
This is my counter-question: Whose work do you enjoy reading?
When we like someone, their advice enters our mind without filters. That is the reason well-intentioned advice coming from people we dislike evaporates into thin air.
Find the writing superstar that appeals to you and immerse in their work. You need to read widely to find out who you want to follow.
This is the story that got chosen for further distribution.
I did not expect it to be picked up. Actually, I did not expect any of my current stories too. I was surprised.
Not to mention that the initial submission was actually rejected.
Have faith, people. Have faith in your work.
I do, however, try to write in a fashion where I share my thoughts without being loud. I adore that mode of writing, especially when we are living in a noisy world.
Why do I want to write in this fashion?
Because I enjoy Jessica Lynn’s work.
Thank you for reading.
I have to get back to the Writer’s Dojo.
Aldric
About the Author:
As a content contributor, I write my observations from daily life and my business exposure.
Because our life experience is the bedrock of our unique perspectives.