The Medium Writer’s I Spy Game

We can get overwhelmed by trying to do it all and do it well.

I spy With my little eye A curated piece With claps so high

A piece tagged in Writing And one under Cooking And Books, Art and Bitcoin For those who are looking

You spy one in Culture Then one in Flash fiction And Speech Education For those who want diction

You find old and new Publications galore On Startups and Gaming And Travel and more

You spy pubs on Fashion, The Future, the World, With so many options Your thoughts they unfurl

There are groups to support you With comments and claps You enter a realm that Fills all of the gaps

You spy with your eye So much new to explore You turn this way and that As you shout, “More, More, More!”

So you write about Lifestyle And Cooking and Love And Space and AI True Crime, Space above

You spy publications Submit to the best But don’t hear for days The wait you detest

So you turn to the groups You have joined — more than 10 And you ask for support “How long?” you ask them.

You spy different answers Some say that, some this But none seem to give What will bring writing bliss

Along with curation Top Writer you seek You explore different tags Which change week to week

Humor? History? Ideas? Advice? Writing Prompts? The endless selection Frustrated, foot stomps

“You must start your own pub,” Shout those on the side “Make editor on others,” So you tried, lord you tried.

“Don’t forget all your stats, Analyze them to know How your writing is faring Which way you should go”

But you’ve no idea what All those stats can reveal There are views, reads and claps And it’s all an ordeal

And for each group you’ve joined You must read, comment, clap There are hundreds each day Overwhelmed you cut back

And you spy with your eye All your stats they decrease So you write through the day And the night, never cease

And you clap and you analyze Tag, write some more Add to threads, comment, like And new topics explore

“So when do I write?” You cry, feeling the pinch Of too much, too many — Success you can’t clinch

Inspiration is dropping “This simply won’t do! Where’s my muse, bring her now” And you yell ‘til you‘re blue.

You’re stretched far too thin And your muse won’t appear But still you keep on Despite what you fear

“I’m not real, an impostor Is all that I am, No talent, no promise A lost tinker’s dam”

“Though I haven’t a clue About what I will write And my muse is quite absent The bitch won’t alight!”

“I spy many writers who Make more than me Getting more claps, more comments Corruption I see!”

And now with a paranoid Nod to the dawn You finally collapse Without even a yawn

But as you sleep deeply Heed that which I say Or else wake despondent Your dream give away

You must find your own path To what your eye seeks Not just what it spies For havoc that wreaks

What we spy and then copy In an effort to be Every bit as successful As she and as he

It is their way not ours Our own takes different work Without template or net Effort cannot be shirked

There’re no shortcuts or hacks That will make us a star We must find our own path Or remain over par

Do not seek to compare Yourself to those who sing Of earnings and fame and Social media esteem

You are you, and the only, The best you, a whiz Only you can relate Your story that is

There will always be those Who are better than you Though we don’t like this thought None-the-less it is true

Find your own voice Choose your models with care Remember that too much Will only impair

If you feel overwhelmed Find out just what makes sense To gain writing command And scorn former pretense

In this way will you make What you dream come to pass A life of fulfillment No need of spyglass

Natalie Frank (Taye Carrol) has had work featured in Haunted Waters Press, Weirdbook Magazine, Siren’s Call Publications, Lycan Valley Press and Zero Fiction among others. Her poetry has been featured in several anthologies. She is Editor for 1-One-Infinity and One Table, One World and Editor in Chief for Promposity and Mental Gecko. She is also the Managing Editor for Novellas and Serials at LVP Publications.

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