Medium Is So Exhausting
And so worth it!
It’s 3pm and I’m drained. It’s not late, certainly, but I’ve been writing for hours. Working on stories for Medium, my blog and also, writing a new screenplay.
Medium, especially, is devouring much of my time as I have to keep creating, to stay relevant and, well…visible. To disappear, even for a short time is akin to shooting oneself in the foot on this platform. That’s my impression, anyway.
So, I’m writing my ass off. And loving it! More on this in a bit.
But there’s much more to Medium than the platform, itself. There’s the community. A great group of tremendously talented individuals who, for the most part, support one another via several Facebook groups, where we share our stories, suggestions and successes, as well as our frustrations.
That last one — our “frustrations” — is no small deal. We writers are sensitive creatures, and it doesn’t take much to ruffle our fragile feathers: Zero curation. A dearth of “claps.” Shitty comments. A lack of engagement. All combined, these “slights” are enough to drive a writer straight to distraction — or a bottle of scotch.
So, staying engaged with the Medium community is almost as important as creating content. Factor the time spent writing, reading, clapping, commenting, highlighting, nose-wiping, ass-kissing, et al, and you have to agree: That’s a LOT of time.
As I write, the back of my mind does its best to hobble me: Bills! Laundry! Shopping! House cleaning! “Sherry, why are you sitting on your ass writing silly stories when so much else needs to be done?”
And then I tell myself to just “fuck off.”
The house work may suffer but I’m writing more than I ever did, even while employed. Every day, I am creating a piece of art. Something that I hope will make others understand that I get it. And, that I get them. Something that incites a reader to laughter, tears, anger, hope, empathy and all the other complicated stuff that makes us human. Something that will last.
Yeah, I’m tired. But, I’m becoming a better writer for it. Although it’s not talked about much, there is a real sense that, aside from supporting one another, we writers are also competing with each other. For what, I’m not entirely certain. Again, this is okay as I am a driven, competitive badass and “competition” is only going to help me up my game.
As I hope it does for others, in our community.
These days, I always have a notebook handy to scribble down ideas that pop into my head at all hours. God forbid I should forget one, because it will be gone for good, as my brain is constantly racing.
Fledgling writers, you should do the same. Honestly, it feels really good to write stuff down in longhand. There’s something so satisfying about a cool pen (Sharpies! Paper Mate Flairs!) and a brand-new notebook. Like school supplies at the start of a new semester. The smell of them!
If Bill Clinton could write his autobiography, My Life in longhand in sixteen notebooks, I can do the same with my Medium stories. And, so can you. Give it a shot.
I’ve found that my ass is an indicator of when I should take a break. It’s telling me that now as it’s beginning to feel like it’s part of the chair I’m writing this in. My ass is slowly sinking in, getting soft, telling me, “Sherry, get up, girl. Time to work out. You can always come back, later.”
And that’s the awesome thing: I can come back later. And, I will. To write, read, clap, highlight comment — all of it.
Thank you, Medium, and community. You’re making me a better, more consistent writer. And that’s pretty damned great.
Sherry McGuinn is a longtime Chicago-area writer and award-winning screenwriter. Her work has appeared in The Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times and numerous other publications. Sherry’s manager is currently pitching her newest screenplay, a drama with dark, comedic overtones and inspired by a true story.