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Abstract

lay it safe and publish, but not in the big publications. I published on my own and promoted my stories to my families and friends. I needed safe readers first, and they gave me honest input in a way that I could accept it.My sisters-in-law are brutally honest. Luckily, one of them said she liked the other story better. And she was right. I tried something different, and I didn’t feel good about it either.Lesson learned. Life is trial and error, we don’t come with owner’s manuals when we’re born. We don’t have one when we write either.If you ever want to experience raw honesty, attend an addiction support group. Listen to someone shares their story of total desperation to do anything to break the addiction. How you choose to react to life is a choice, you don’t have to accept it.Work ExperienceI’ve been a production planner for thirty years. Just because you got your master’s degree in Supply Chain last month, doesn’t mean your experience level is the same as mine. You can only read about the things I experienced in real life.Same thing for life experiences. The next generation thinks they invented sex. Well honey, how do you think you got here? Darwin, oh yeah, right.Give your writing experience some time. Gain some confidence and let your voice shine. One of my readers commented on a story and said it was “sprinkled with sarcasm.” Sprinkled? I thought it was a downpour, but I’ll take a sprinkle.My first stories were safe and nice and boring.Stop Comparing Yourself to Other WritersIf we are all given the s

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ame criteria to write about, we’ll write it differently, because we are. Many writers are discouraged because the top writers are making all the big money. But just like my ex-husband’s wife — damn, she earned every penny, trust me.Some top writers have been writing for years, even decades. Maybe not on Medium, but. I’ve been writing for less than a year.Be kind to yourself and give yourself some credit. Earn your reader's respect and grow with them. Don’t just beat someone over the head and say read this!The Only Story You Need to Worry About, Is the One You’re Writing NowDon’t stress that your story isn’t getting the reads that you expected. Start working on the next one. Stop living in the past and don’t delete a story. (Yes, I’m talking to you.) Building relationships with your readers is more rewarding than stressing about money.When you hold on to an idea with tight fists, you can’t accept gifts with open arms. You’ll drop them all the time. Opportunity is like that, open your arms and welcome the possibilities, don’t hang on tightly to what was and expect it to change.The TakeawayWe can all complain about not making money writing. But that’s the wrong way to look at it. If you want to make money really fast, get a second job delivering pizzas. But that won’t make you happy as a writer.If you know why you’re writing, really do a thorough analysis on it, to where it makes you cry, it’s not for the money. It’s for something so much more. My mom said, “you write it for me.”That’s my why, what’s yours?</article></body>

If My Ex-Husband Can Win $250,000 on a Scratch-Off Ticket

Anyone should be able to make money on Medium, right?

Photo by Johann Walter Bantz on Unsplash

(Actually, his 6th wife won it, but hey? Who’s counting.)

Are you watching your stats and getting discouraged? Maybe you think of giving up on writing on Medium? Quitting now would be like leaving a slot machine you’ve been playing for hours. You walk away and turn around to see the next person after you hit the jackpot. (Notice I didn’t say scratch-off ticket)

What Are You Writing For?

Have you written your first story, and crickets… crickets? You’re disappointed that you only earned a handful of claps and one penny for all your troubles. Suck it up buttercup, you have more work to do. If you want readers, go find them, not vice versa.

You don’t just go beat someone over the head to get their attention, although that works the person walks away with a bad feeling about you. (There are co-workers at my day job I’d like to do that too, but I digress.)

So why are you writing? Why are you writing here? Why not there? Are you just proving to yourself that you can write, and you’re writing doesn’t suck? Many of us have been hurt before, and we don’t want to go through that again.

You play it safe and publish, but not in the big publications. I published on my own and promoted my stories to my families and friends. I needed safe readers first, and they gave me honest input in a way that I could accept it.

My sisters-in-law are brutally honest. Luckily, one of them said she liked the other story better. And she was right. I tried something different, and I didn’t feel good about it either.

Lesson learned. Life is trial and error, we don’t come with owner’s manuals when we’re born. We don’t have one when we write either.

If you ever want to experience raw honesty, attend an addiction support group. Listen to someone shares their story of total desperation to do anything to break the addiction. How you choose to react to life is a choice, you don’t have to accept it.

Work Experience

I’ve been a production planner for thirty years. Just because you got your master’s degree in Supply Chain last month, doesn’t mean your experience level is the same as mine. You can only read about the things I experienced in real life.

Same thing for life experiences. The next generation thinks they invented sex. Well honey, how do you think you got here? Darwin, oh yeah, right.

Give your writing experience some time. Gain some confidence and let your voice shine. One of my readers commented on a story and said it was “sprinkled with sarcasm.” Sprinkled? I thought it was a downpour, but I’ll take a sprinkle.

My first stories were safe and nice and boring.

Stop Comparing Yourself to Other Writers

If we are all given the same criteria to write about, we’ll write it differently, because we are. Many writers are discouraged because the top writers are making all the big money. But just like my ex-husband’s wife — damn, she earned every penny, trust me.

Some top writers have been writing for years, even decades. Maybe not on Medium, but. I’ve been writing for less than a year.

Be kind to yourself and give yourself some credit. Earn your reader's respect and grow with them. Don’t just beat someone over the head and say read this!

The Only Story You Need to Worry About, Is the One You’re Writing Now

Don’t stress that your story isn’t getting the reads that you expected. Start working on the next one. Stop living in the past and don’t delete a story. (Yes, I’m talking to you.) Building relationships with your readers is more rewarding than stressing about money.

When you hold on to an idea with tight fists, you can’t accept gifts with open arms. You’ll drop them all the time. Opportunity is like that, open your arms and welcome the possibilities, don’t hang on tightly to what was and expect it to change.

The Takeaway

We can all complain about not making money writing. But that’s the wrong way to look at it. If you want to make money really fast, get a second job delivering pizzas. But that won’t make you happy as a writer.

If you know why you’re writing, really do a thorough analysis on it, to where it makes you cry, it’s not for the money. It’s for something so much more. My mom said, “you write it for me.”

That’s my why, what’s yours?