avatarMaria Rattray

Summary

The article discusses the importance of reciprocity in writing, highlighting the author's journey on Medium, the impact of supportive writers, and the promotion of new voices through the Reciprocal publication.

Abstract

The author reflects on their initial apprehensions as a novice writer on Medium, the silence that followed their early publications, and the subsequent growth and support they received from fellow writers. The piece emphasizes the value of reciprocity and mutual support within the writing community, particularly through the Reciprocal publication, which aims to elevate emerging writers. It showcases the author's discovery of talented writers like Carla Woody and Ange Dim, who exemplify authenticity and vulnerability in their writing, and Annelise Lords, whose work offers uplifting insights into the power of thought. The article serves as an encouragement for writers to share their struggles openly and to engage with the community for mutual benefit.

Opinions

  • The author expresses gratitude for the support received from established writers when they were starting out, acknowledging the role of mentorship in their growth.
  • There is an appreciation for the Reciprocal publication, which is seen as a vital resource for promoting new writers and fostering a sense of community.
  • The author believes that sharing personal struggles in writing can resonate with readers and provide comfort, advocating for authenticity over portraying a perfect life.
  • The article suggests that the Medium community, particularly through publications like Reciprocal, can help writers overcome feelings of rejection and failure.
  • The author highlights the importance of recognizing and supporting lesser-known writers, such as Carla Woody, who may have smaller followings but are nonetheless talented and eloquent.
  • There is a recognition that thinking patterns can significantly impact one's life, suggesting that mindset can be either a supportive friend or a hindering foe.
  • The author admits to focusing on women writers in the article but commits to featuring a more diverse group of writers in future stories.

Make Reciprocity A Daily Habit. You Can Never Know The Impact Of Your Benevolence

Be the example you want to see in practice

Photo by Clay Banks on Unsplash

“There is one word that may serve as a rule of practice for all one’s life- RECIPROCITY.”

This is my first article for Reciprocal. I jut love the title of the publication. I wish it had been around when I was a novice on Medium. I still remember the hesitation I felt to press that PUBLISH button.

Did I have any idea?

Would anyone read my writing?

Would anyone follow me?

The answer to my internal questioning was a resounding NO to all three.

CRICKETS.

So, I took my bat and ball and left Medium to its own devices and its super-successful Matt Lillywhite, and home-grown Tim Denning writers.

Only kidding. I braved the quiet, the solitude, and the feeling of failure.

And in the privacy of my little world I conducted a little research instead, and I began to understand the machinations of online writing.

And with tentative steps, and a litany of ongoing prayers, I took my pen in hand and began once more.

And gradually…

And gradually, god love them, I was adopted by a few worthy writers who took pity on me (something I realized at a later stage!) and I had not just a following, but the odd helpful comment as well.

I suspect that most of us have had similar feelings, and that’s not a bad thing. When you have experienced rejection, (because that’s what not being read feels like), it’s hard to keep on keeping on.

But that’s where a publication like Reciprocal is pure manna from heaven. A publication that aims to promote others, especially the fledglings, is providing incredible opportunities for newbies to start being noticed.

I found one such writer today in ILLUMINATION, a publication belonging to Dr Mehmet Yildiz.

Her name is Carla Woody. She has an impressive following of 60, just as we all once did!

This writer is no slouch. Indeed she is a wonderfully eloquent writer, whose every word I found myself hanging onto. She is so worthy of being checked out. You won’t regret having done so.

Ange Dim is another writer I follow. She is also a very capable and eloquent writer, with a very different style and purpose from Carla.

But today her writing grabbed me because she was essentially writing about our getting naked…not literally, but naked in the sharing of our pains, our adversity, and our struggles, which is where others find solace.

I thought about her words and she’s absolutely right. I tend to steer clear of my struggles, and I have some, and so, my authenticity is veiled, and always will be, unless I, like Ange, can embrace writing authentically.

I love her last quote.

Nobody wants to read about a Ken and Barbie lifestyle- because that’s just fake news anyway.

And last, but certainly not least, Annelise Lords whose writing I always find so uplifting. She reminds us that the manner in which we think, could work as either a friend or foe. Something to think seriously about.

I just realized that today I have focused on only women writers, but I can and will, rectify this in my next story.

Meantime, I hope you will take time to read these wonderful writers. You’ll be glad you did.

Reciprocal
Writers On Medium
Reciprocity
Authenticity
Sharing Stories
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