Every Writer's Journey is Different
But it's also the *SAME* in so many ways.
Hello dear friend,
As you might know, I mentor a bunch of writers who joined my 100 day writing challenge community. Every two weeks, we have accountability calls where I address the doubts of these new writers.
Talking with these writers and answering their questions has made me realize one thing: every writer’s journey is different, but it’s also the same in so many ways!
Sounds self-contradictory? Let me explain.
We all start out the same
At the start of my writing journey, I used to worry about all kinds of things -
Will I eventually run out of ideas if I keep writing every day?
Am I a real writer if all I write are blog posts?
How can I focus on writing more when I can’t stop editing old stuff?
And more.
Now, when I hear my community of writers voicing the same concerns, I can’t help but marvel at how similar all writers are when they start their journey.
We worry about things out of our control. We doubt our talent. And we wonder if we’ll be able to keep going “forever.”
Online writing is a lonely journey. You struggle alone so hard and for so long, that a reminder that there are other people going through the same thoughts feels like a moment of warmth.
Pro tip: Don’t let negative self-talk get in the way of living up to your full potential. Show up, keep writing, and wait for the magic to unfold.
How we deal with creative burnout defines the rest of our journey
After a few months (years?) of inspired writing, the creative burnout starts settling in.
The adrenaline rush of views, likes, comments, and money saturates. Your “new normal” is 1000 views now, and anything less doesn’t excite you. The profile growth slows, and you’re left wondering: is this it? Is this the grand promise of being a “creator” that you started out so enthusiastically towards?
How you deal with this creative burnout defines who you will be.
Let me give you an example.
When I started writing on Medium in 2020, I befriended a bunch of writers who were at a similar stage in their journey as me. We all had less than 5000 followers, and we were working on building a legacy.
I kept writing, even when -
the views were low
Top Writers were quitting the platform
everyone was complaining how Medium is not longer cool
And today, I have 186,000 followers, making me one of the highest-followed writers on the platform. I make upwards of $1500 every month from the Partner Program, and use Medium like an online repository of my best work.
As for the bunch of writers I befriended in 2020? All of them gave up writing. They’re working in day jobs now, happy in their own right, but not a full-time writer like I am.
If you’re feeling you’re reached a point of saturation in your journey, keep pushing ahead. If you stop, your journey will come to an end, and no one will care about you.
But if you keep writing, you stand a chance to write a beautiful story for yourself that will leave the world spellbound.
There are two roads, and both of them are right. One will lead you to fame and contentment, and the other, to a more stable, predictable life. The choice is yours: Which path will you pick?
If you need a community of writers cheering you up, you can be a part of the 100 Day Challenge Community today!
PS: If you aren’t from India, click here to join.
That’s all from my end today. If you found this newsletter useful, share with a friend so they can subscribe too.
I’ll see you soon with another new edition. Until then, stay awesome and keep writing.
Love,
Anangsha