I Write Masterpiece, Others Write Bullsh*t — Mindset

You are not the only genius alive, there are thousands better than you

Think about the title

Do you have this mindset deep inside? Be honest. No one is asking for the answer. Answer to yourself.

My experience in different social media groups (mostly on Facebook Groups for Medium writers and some other writing communities) gave me the confidence to write this article.

Here, I will be talking about you and me — the writers — who possess a terrible mindset, and it’s killing our opportunity to grow as a better writer.

What I experienced

I joined a total number of 15 FB groups made for Medium-writers. Writers are supposed to share their stories and read others. It’s like a common rule in all the groups.

To my surprise, I found no one interested in reading the stories written by other people. But everyone is so enthusiastic about his/her article and expect that other people will read and appreciate them. This is what they do -

They drop their links in the comment section of every post they encounter and then fly away. They hardly make any thoughtful comments in any stories they read. Eventually, no discussion arises; no debate takes place.

No one is there to learn anything from anyone. Nobody has the intention to become a better writer. And, nobody appreciates discussion. They only care about views, claps, curation, and earning.

This attitude comes from a false belief that you write better than everyone, and you have nothing to learn from others.

But don’t you see, this attitude is killing your writer-self?

I write ‘masterpiece’

We, the writers, always put ourselves in a superior position. Most of us think what we write is the best piece ever written, and no one can write like this.

When our articles or stories get published on Medium, we think we have finished our job well. Now people must find our writings and appreciate us.

No matter how shitty our writings are, we love to believe that this is the best and expect appreciation.

If we see that no one is reading or responding to our stories, we feel uncomfortable. We wonder — what’s wrong with the people, why don’t they read this great piece of work?

Most of the time, we wait for others to discover our writing genius. And if they don’t, we feel so devalued. We immediately conclude that — nowadays, good writings don’t get attention.

Others write ‘bullsh*t’

How many articles do you read every day? Do you appreciate the writings of other people and respond to them? Again, no one is asking for the answers. Answer to yourself.

Most of us on Medium seem reluctant to read the stories written by others. But we want them to read our writings. Don’t you think this is unfair?

We think their stories have nothing to offer, and they will waste our time. Maybe we are too busy to spend time on their bullsh*t stories. But have you ever think that they can feel the same way as you do?

If everyone thinks like this, then there will be writers living in individual cocoons. Eventually, no one will grow as a better writer because reading is a must to take your writing to the next level.

You must stop thinking that other writers produce only bullsh*t.

You are not the only genius on this platform, there are thousands better than you. And this is good news because, if you keep an open mind, you can learn tons of new things every single day from them.

Change your mindset: Blogging is all about interactions

My 8 years of blogging experience in a platform taught me that it’s all about reading and interaction.

Through interaction, I have made lots of writer-friends, learned numerous things that helped me grow as a better person. Moreover, I have published a book in collaboration with another writer whom I met through this process.

Try to change your mindset. Read others’ stories and let them know your thoughts. They will do the same in return. In the process of it, you will find new ideas, insights, information, and eventually become a better writer.

Remember, reciprocity is the killer. You must give — what you want.

Maybe you will find ideas for your next article reading someone’s story, or learn a thing or two you didn’t know before. Read and allow yourself to experience an unknown world you didn’t know existed.

Final thoughts

Set aside a few minutes(30–60 minutes) every day to read and respond. Let them know that you value their writings.

Trust, it costs nothing but gives a return of a lifetime.

Read, read, read. Read everything — trash, classics, good and bad, and see how they do it. Just like a carpenter who works as an apprentice and studies the master. Read! You’ll absorb it. Then write. If it’s good, you’ll find out. If it’s not, throw it out of the window. ― William Faulkner

Change our mindset. Value others’ writings, they will do the same in return. Give what you want from others. Trust me — it’s easy if you try.

Happy reading!

If you are an amazing writer who wants to know more about writing and reading, the following post may help you.