Inspiration
What Annoys Me as a Writer, and How I Plan to Overcome Them
I am currently an Aerospace Engineering student who found joy in writing in 2019. It will soon be two years since I embarked on writing my first ever book and almost a year since I started my blog.
Despite undertaking an Engineering degree, I have always found philosophy and psychology intriguing subjects. So, I spend much of my time using insights from them to inspire others to live more purposeful lives.
The Pain of Writing
Although I still find writing as one of the most powerful ways to impact another person, there are many stumbling blocks I have come across. I have not been writing for as long as many writers. But even they agree on some of the pains I experience today.
The first is the lack of resources to learn how to create. I understand that creativity is individualistic and relative to each person. However, even as engineers, we have a process and formal guidelines to produce a profitable product.
As writers, our finished product is our writing. And from what I can see, there are no guidelines for new writers to follow to ease them into the craft. I spent six months of writing rubbish on my blog until I found something that worked for me.
Many writers say, “all you need to do is start”, but I think starters need a bit more help than that.
The second is marketing. Writers have a limited scope when it comes to advertising their work. My blog is almost a year old, and it still has under 50 email subscriptions.
As writers, we can not just pick up our stories and put them on a platform. Instead, we have to get even more creative with how we direct people back to our content. I have seen writers starting their own YouTube channels or Instagram pages to help grow their following.
Medium is a great tool to get your writing out there. But again, with a lack of resources out there on how to market yourself as a writer. I can see why many writers are left confused on how to promote their work, me included.
I have tried starting an Instagram, and I post my stories into different communities on social media, but the return is low.
Finally, SEO is a complete joke. I have been carrying out SEO on my blogs for the whole duration, and I am not sure if it even works at this point. I have taken a few courses, and they have all not helped.
That is another thing. A lot of the courses for writers are below par, especially the ones found on Medium. Please do not take offence if you have one, but many of these courses sell false dreams and give new writers unrealistic hope.
My Aspirations as a Writer
I have always said that if I was stranded on a desert island, I would bring two things. A notepad and a pen. And whilst on the desert Island, I would document everything I learnt and saw.
At least then, if I can not survive, someone else might be able to if they find themselves on the same Island. Or at least have more of a chance. That way, I have added value to the world and will never be forgotten.
Writing to me is a way to leave a legacy behind. Many of the things we do in this world will eventually be forgotten. Even our loved ones will pass away with the fondest memories of us. So writing allows me to live forever.
And in doing so, I seek to write things that will inspire humanity and push them towards being better.
My Writing so Far
Here is a list of my top five stories which have received the most views so far:
The New Way to Sell a Product
After reading “This is Marketing” by Seth Godin and Simon Sinek’s Ted Talk on “How Great Leaders Inspire Action.” I decided to marry some ideas from both these great thinkers. In doing so, I attempted to develop a new way to sell a product.
Taking a New Approach to Failure
In this article, I discuss the new ways the business world is embracing failure. Before, failure was seen as a negative thing. But this article highlights why failure can be a positive and why punishment is not the answer.
Good Leadership Starts With Your Assumptions
Upon learning more about the importance of assumptions in Psychology, I wrote this article. It dissects the different belief systems of leaders and how it affects their leadership style in the future.
Create the World You Wish to See
After undertaking a course on the Circular Economy, I was inspired to write about design thinking. This article highlights the power of having a design rather than a response mindset. And how we can potentially create the world we wish to see with design thinking.
My Writing Which I Think Should Have Got More Attention
Here is a list of my curated stories, which should have got a bit more attention than they received:
My Single Parent Household Drove Me to Toxic Masculinity
The article presents a new way to think about toxic masculinity. Here I tell my own experience with toxic masculinity and how the pain of men can sometimes manifest itself in toxicity.
Two Quotes That Begun My Pursuit for Truth
As someone who enjoys philosophy, I see quotes from great philosophers all the time. But two quotes changed my perspective on the world and led me to take action on finding truth.
What Taking a Cold Shower Everyday For a Month Taught Me
I took on the challenge to take a cold shower every day for a month and learnt a lot from my experience. Although it was painful, I think there are some gems of knowledge everyone can take from my suffering.
Freeing Myself From the Chains of Poverty
My whole childhood was full of poverty. After my mum had me at the age of sixteen, we struggled to make ends meet. However, as I have grown older, I have had to free myself from some of its weight. You can learn more about how I did it in this article.
People I Am Grateful For
I am still at the start of my medium journey and have already received so much support. I want to say a special thank you to my readers, editors and those who have left encouraging comments on my stories. I wish you all the best.
Milan Kordestani → You are a constant reader who claps and supports my work. Thank you so much, and please continue. It motivates me to keep going.
Mario López-Goicoechea → You are a constant reader who claps and supports my work. Not to mention leaving a comment sometimes. Thank you for your support.
Maria Rattray → You have been a recent editor on some of my stories which have a good number of views. You always leave great advice, and you are constantly making me better. Thank you for everything you do! I really appreciate it.
Irshad Ahmad → You are a constant reader who claps and supports my work. Thank you so much, and please continue. It helps me continue to produce stories you enjoy.
Rui Alves → You read my stories on both Medium and Many Stories. Thank you so much for your kind comments and reads.
Terry Mansfield → Your support for my “About Me” story was much appreciated. Thank you for your kind words, and it was great connecting with you.
Terry L. Cooper → You have been an editor of mine who has helped me become a much better writer. You were my first-ever editor, and you have assisted me in my growth on Medium.
Lucy Garcia → You left the most wonderful comment on one of my stories. It really made my day and put a smile on my face. Thank you for taking the time to comment! I really appreciate it.
Dr Mehmet Yildiz → You gave me my first ever opportunity to write for a publication. You have also created many opportunities, like this one, to help beginner writers like me. Thank you for your work and dedication in amplifying writers like me. I can not thank you enough!
Nombuso Makhubu → Thank you for leaving comments on my stories and clapping for them. Your comments made my day, and I really appreciate your support.
People Who Inspire Me
Below are the ten writers I try my best to read and support regularly. Your work is inspiring and has led me to become a better writer myself. As long as you are still writing, I will always have people to look up to.
Here are 10 people who have inspired me so far:
My Plans for Reading and Writing
This year, I have taken it upon myself to form a rigid plan on what I wish to read and write. I often go with the wind and let my soul take me wherever. However, I think it is more productive to have a plan.
So I hope to read more on the following topics:
- Psychology
- Business
- Economics
I hope to complete a PhD in Organisational Behaviour, and I believe these three topics will best prepare me for it. I have big dreams to contribute to the field uniquely, so learning more on these topics will give me a better chance of doing that.
As for my writing, I have realised that I enjoy writing about my personal experiences. My personal story is sensitive, but writing about it helps me overcome the fear of being vulnerable.
So, I hope to write more on the following topics:
- Life Lessons
- Self Improvement
- Business
From writing about my life lessons, I will be looking to advise others on how they can implement some of the things I did. So, self-improvement is a topic I would love to contribute to.
Finally, as organisational behaviour is a passion of mine, writing on business is always enjoyable for me. So I seek to develop my writing on this topic too.
Who I Want to Read More
These individuals have caught my eye as I have begun getting more familiar with the platform Medium. Many of them write on my topics of interest and have extensive knowledge of the things I seek to read more.
So here are the five people who should look out for my future support:
How I Would Improve Medium if I Could
As an engineer, I would get a bit techier with the platform. As discussed before, there are no resources that help beginner writers increase their likelihood for curation. Only the general guidelines from Medium and other writers advice are available.
Therefore, I would create a built-in AI editor which gives pointers on how to structure a story. But also help the writer improve their writing. Here is a list of things that AI could detect to assist writers in their writing styles to increase their chances of getting curated:
- Number of words in a paragraph
- Number of words under a subheading
- Sentence length
- Headline Capitalisation
- Referencing Images
And that is only a few things that writers need to consider when thinking of getting curated. As writers get more comfortable with the platform and find their style, they can turn it off.
My blog website uses Yoast SEO to help me write articles that have a high SEO standard. But it also uses AI to help me structure my writing in the best way for readers.
Finally, I think marketing is something all beginner writers could get a bit more help with. So I would suggest that Medium start their own affiliate group built into Medium. The group would consist of regular readers on Medium who select which topics they are most interested in reading.
From here, writers should be able to post their stories into these groups depending on the topic. The readers in this group would read the article and engage with it. Whilst also providing some feedback if needed.
There are two things this would help. The first is the goal for Medium to become more relational. The readers in the groups will receive stories from topics they wish to read and will see new writers who speak directly to them. Therefore, as the reader, you can find writers you like and build a bond with them.
The second is it helps writers find their audience, become better writers and increase the views on their stories. And this group does not have to come for free. Both readers and writers (probably more so writers) can pay extra per month to be in the group.
The affiliate groups should allow writers to grow faster and improve the user experience for readers. So, it would make sense to charge a little more for it.
Thanks, A LOT for holding this writing challenge, Dr Mehmet Yildiz. I am so happy I have taken part. It has allowed me to thank those who have helped me so far on my journey whilst promote some of my writing.