Editorial Op-Ed | Of Reading and Writing
Illuminating the Way to Climb Out of the Writer’s Deep Dark Hole
Because we need it from time to time. We dig holes for ourselves and we have to learn how to climb out of them.
Dear Writers,
Deep down, we know what it means to be living in a black hole. Time comes to a standstill as we pour our hearts and soul into our creation, only be to be met with publication resistance or lack of audience.
I wonder if any writers are spared from this phenomenon.
If that person is you, congratulations!
If you are in the Writer’s Deep Dark Hole, fret not. You are not alone.
Of course, we should embrace moments of muted results, relentless improvements, and most importantly, overcome excessive self-inflicted negative judgment. This is the only way to bring ourselves back to grind.
It is from this perspective that I handpicked 4 stories for our contributors and readers. They cover the following topics:
- The twins of certainty and uncertainty in life.
- Finding ways to give existing work second life, so we need always be in the creation mode.
- How the journey towards success feels like.
- How the process of turning your hobby into a side-hustle feels like.
Please enjoy this week’s editorial op-ed.
Editor’s Pick for the Week
Let us not be fooled into pursuing certainty.
Certainty is necessary and it is just one part of life, as Bill explains.
“Yet uncertainty is vital to life as well… To live without uncertainty would bring complacency and the threat of atrophy. I like to think of certainty as heads and uncertainty as tails on two sides of the same coin. If you flip this coin, you can be sure it will come up heads, but you cannot be sure when.”
Bill Abbate | How Both Certainty and Uncertainty Can Improve Your Life
You want to be comfortable dealing with life’s uncertainties. It is almost certain that they come along.
It runs on the same thread as lethargy. There are days where I don’t want to type a single word. Therefore, I need a system to help me with content creation without creating new content.
“But there is a more efficient way to create content; one that not only will allow you to create more but will also free up your mind to pursue more creative topics and efforts. This method involves using things you’ve already said either in your podcasts or videos or even other stories and turning them into articles or short promotional pieces to publish.”
Sahir Dhalla | 3 Steps For Turning Your Scripts Into Stories
Have you ever thought of giving your existing content portfolio an additional boost? If not, it is time to.
As long-form content creators, we write a lot. Go review your profile and be proud of all the work you have published this far. Give a pat on your back as you re-visit your commitment to better content and expression of ideas.
“The start of the Journey at Medium agitates to Fiverr as I have experience at Fiverr. I write almost daily and submit to different publications, which act as a pillar in the Journey of Medium. I do not rush into massive publications but catch up with the smaller or the fresh ones because the growth was easy with smaller publications for new writers.”
Regardless of what we do, growth is our North Star.
No one wants to stagnate. As simple as that sounds, keep moving.
Our effort will materialize the dreams we have in our minds. It comes. It takes time. This journey accelerated with our commitment to work on it continuously, day after day.
“It might sound impossible but believe me, I know a lot of people who have turned their passion into a very successful business. My friend Paul is a good example. He was good with exercise and training. I remember when we use to go to the gym together you will see him helping people out during their workout. Now Paul has set up a side hustle as a coach for personal training.”
I love these stories. You will enjoy them too.
Summary
The Writer’s Deep Dark Hole is not a pleasant place to be in.
When we find ourselves there, we got to find ways to climb out and get back to our writer’s dojo.
I wish you all the best.
Aldric
Dr Mehmet Yildiz Liam Ireland Maria Rattray Karen Madej Carol Price Tree Langdon Britni Pepper Agnes Laurens Claire Kelly Dr. Preeti Singh Josh Balerite Acol Geetika Sethi Noorain Hassan, BMS John Cunningham Editor of Technology Hits Zen Chan JS Adam Regi Brittain
Resources from Previous Editorial Op-Eds:
If you find this editorial op-ed helpful to your writing journey, you may uncover more gems in the previous op-eds written for the benefit of ILLUMINATION’s contributors and readers.
- Illuminating the Editor’s Dilemma: What We (Really) Do and How We Can Do Better
- Illuminating the Way to Overcome the Writer’s Silent Disappointment
- Illuminating A Potential Structure for an Effective Writing Week
- Illuminating the Way to Become a Better Writer with Composure
- Inside the Minds of Editors: What We Look Forward to and Look Out for
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.