Why Do You Write?
Not everything should be tied to money!!
“Why do you write?” This was an old prompt on Medium that I read quite late! Plus, just this week I was explaining to someone why I try to carve time for writing (away from my day job in fintech) and spending time with my adorable toddler! I’ve published 3 books (Yes, 3!) and enjoy decent sales even though it pays peanuts compared to my “real” salary!
Some of you may be writing for the same reason! Read on to find out!
If not, and you despair of making money off Medium, please take a look. You may perceive benefits you have not yet considered which can also indirectly help you increase your income.
Why do I write?
- Joy of writing: So much joy in seeing thoughts and ideas come alive on paper! I get the same rush when I published code that did something cool on a webpage or built a data model that added millions in revenue.
- Leadership Voice: Writing consistently has helped me develop a strong brand that is independent of work! It has helped me write better tutorials at work, “sell” my ideas more convincingly, and become a more effective communicator! All of which indirectly helped build my leadership style and move up the career ladder a little faster than my peers! Basically zig-zagged my way up! Move faster, more money!
- Writing as Babies: Some writing ideas are like toddlers… they have a voice of their own. They pull, they cry, they kiss you, they make adorable doe-eyes — they cannot be ignored. The only path forward is to give them your 100% attention and do what they want! :) My third book happened this way — I kept ignoring the idea until it became cranky as hell and I had to cave in and let the words out!
- Humbling experience: I am yet to touch the $100-club on Medium and the experience has been humbling and eye-opening! Success often boxes us into a cage of comfort, and we want to keep recycling what worked this far! Being a “rookie” at writing and seeing others speed faster is a great learning experience… why is someone else going viral even though they write similarly to me? Why are some things shared even though they seem pointless and cliched to me? I try to take the same thought process at work and force myself to look at things from all angles, and not be stuck on what seems familiar. This has led to positive feedback as a creative problem-solver and strategic leader. Benefit — Career brownie points which are slowly translating to better opportunities, ergo more money!
- Community: This is self-explanatory. Thank you to all the wonderful folks who have supported me this far, as readers, advisers, and cheerleaders!
Why do you write? Did any of my reasons resonate with you? Do you write for something completely different? Share your thoughts in the comments section.
Like the article but wanted something a little more practical about increasing your income? Read this…
For those who are still getting to know me on Medium, I have written 200+ posts on Medium and these are my top takeaways:
