WRITING LIFE | WRITING TIPS
Stop Worrying, Just Write!
Today matters more than tomorrow
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I can’t tell you how many writers on Medium I have seen preaching about quality and the need to build some sort of writing legacy. Now, I don’t want to dispute that end-game goal, but depending on some things, that can be pure horse shite.
If you are a new or aspiring writer, quality and legacy should be the last of your concerns. Nobody expects anything big from someone who just opened their eyes, so you shouldn’t either.
I’m not saying that you shouldn’t have goals or write to the best of your ability. I just want you to cut yourself some slack and stop worrying.
Take your time. Build your craft. Ask yourself: What does a writer do? What’s the basic requirement to be considered a writer, even at an amateur level?
Yes, the answer is more than obvious. A writer writes. Without writing anything, you can’t even be nicknamed an amateur writer, much less be considered a “real” one.
In my opinion, the first thing an aspiring writer needs to do is get themselves as familiar with writing as possible. And that means quantity before quality.
Quantity is the first step on your writing journey and the stepping stone towards quality. If you can’t achieve quality, it is often because you haven’t mastered quantity either.
Based on what I’ve read from actual good writers on this platform who have quoted actual published authors, this seems to be the case for people who made an actual career from writing.
Before you worry about what will take place years from now, you have to make sure today is in order. Fix yourself something to eat for lunch first. Then worry about what you’ll eat thirty days from now.
Sure, you can prepare yourself, set some things aside, plan, and consider everything you need in the long term. Then work to achieve it. But you can’t work on an empty stomach. You need to take care of yourself first.
Therefore, you should let go of your anxiety and just write. Write until writing comes very easily to you. Write until writing becomes a habit and something you see yourself as being able to do. Only then can you worry about producing something of a high standard of quality.
As you go along your writing journey, you will better yourself without even realizing it. You will only be able to gauge progress once you’ve been at it for a considerable amount of time.
Time means experience. There’s no way someone who does something for a long time will not see any improvements whatsoever. No matter the skill, training is important.
So build your courage. Put yourself out there for the world to see. Don’t be afraid to share your writing journey.
An aspiring writer should not let themselves be defeated by stage fright. Actual writing is just like a stage performance. You have to write for others, for an audience, not just for yourself.
I hear a few people mention that they write every day, but they don’t publish everything they write. Why? It’s not like you’re walking into a publishing house, ready to meet rigid professional standards and academic scrutiny.
You’re just self-publishing something on the internet. Medium allows you to publish whatever you like, and it’s a shame not to use this opportunity to do so. So what if your text is not world-class literature? Publish it!
As an aspiring writer, you have nothing to lose by publishing your stories. If you’re afraid nobody will read them, well, news flash: if you don’t publish them, nobody will read them anyway.
Plus, nobody reading your stories is not actual proof of your worth. Even decent writers can struggle to get exposure sometimes. The competition is that big.
Nonetheless, the only way to have a chance at winning is to play the game. Have a crack at it and adjust your writing based on the experience you get along the way.
You will come to see that most of the successful Medium writers you admired as a newbie were nothing special. They were just a future version of yourself. You can achieve that too, given time.
That’s something you will see before becoming an outstanding writer. In fact, it is one of the insights you accumulate as you go along your writing journey.
Something like that happened to me recently. I just realized that some person who I was admiring when I joined Medium was actually (beyond the well-wrapped keyboard acts) nothing special.
They too, like many others, are posting some articles devoid of any purpose or meaning. Nothing short of a keyboard scheme.
On top of that, they’re selling writing courses. Which disappoints me even more because it is now evident to me that they don’t have the skills for it. Self-certified experts are created from a massive ego and gullible people who buy into it.
It took me a while to realize that, though. The better you get at writing and the longer you stay in this writing game, the more you realize you shouldn’t underestimate yourself.
I’m not a professional either. I don’t want you to believe I consider myself a big shot. I’m far from it. I’m just sharing my experiences, opinions, and observations, not giving people lessons.
The best lessons are born from your own observations and experiences. Be mindful of what you hear from others, check out multiple sources, but at the same time, draw your own conclusions.
Nobody can help you if you don’t help yourself. At best, they will just con you into giving them your time and attention, or money in some fucked-up cases.
I can’t help myself not to notice all the progress I’ve made along my writing journey, though. It might not be much in the grand scheme of things, but for me, that’s massive growth.
Here I am, telling you that it can be done. You can do it too. You can grow if you continue your writing training. Chances are, you have more potential than me.
So don’t be impressed by my keyboard antics. Start working on yourself. Stop dreaming of being in other people’s shoes and walk in your own shoes.
What are you waiting for? Don’t waste time. Write and boldly publish your work!
