The Writer’s Way

Escaping The Writer’s Rat Race

Drowning out the writer’s noise

Photo by Tara Winstead on Pexels

I have been on Medium for exactly one week, and while learning a lot through reading so many insightful and thought-provoking blogs, I have found myself succumbing to a certain pressure — I call it “The writer’s rat race”.

A clean cut from social media led me to pursue my writing journey. I was looking for an escape from the trivial pursuits of life:

1. Seeking attention and validation from others online
2. Impressing family and friends trying to hold onto their expectations of me
3. Falling into the comparison trap and chasing after the next trend

Instead, I was seeking to:

1. Get back in tune with my inner child
2. Respect the unique journey I am on
3. Practice gratitude in every aspect of my life
4. Become more mindful.

However, after posting my first story I immediately found myself back in the rat race! I started checking my views and then thinking about how I could build an audience. I started searching for claps, mindlessly following people and joining publications. Reluctantly, I even went as far as to share it with my personal network, knowing full well my social circle has vastly different interests to me, those not including writing.

My feed quickly became filled with:

• “How I made $500,000+ by writing on the Internet”
• “How to grow your audience from 0–1000+ followers in a month”
• “Unveiling the secret to finding your niche”
• “Quit your job and become a freelance writer NOW”

I became so overwhelmed that I took a break from Medium! The one platform I joined to escape the race. Now, naturally, if you can turn your hobbies into an income, who would not choose it? But that’s not what I came here for. I didn’t join to generate an income or be an influencer, but instead to reflect on my journey as a quarter lifer hoping these stories could inspire younger versions of myself and be a lesson for my future self. I had to tailor my feed to fit my journey and I became grateful for the little things.

No Audience, No Niche

I am glad I don’t have an audience or a niche. This means I get to write more personal stories as if I’m talking to myself or chatting to a close friend, and I can write about any subject under the sun without following any rules and being stuck in one domain.

Writing When I’m Inspired

I have seen so many articles about needing to write consistently even if you don’t have anything to write about. I disagree. I believe you should only write when you’re passionate and in the zone. Meaningless contributions equal meaningless interactions and it is easy to see when an author has no connection to their article — writing should not feel like a job, it needs to go beyond the shallow metrics.

Goodbye Perfectionism

Spending hours on an article to get it “perfect” or up to par with other amazing writers is not my goal. I am striving for authenticity and instead of obsessing over every sentence, I aim to stay true to my voice, experiences, and perspectives.

If my writing resonates with even one person, that is a beautiful accomplishment, but being mindful of the above as a beginner writer allows me to focus on what really matters in my journey — drowning out the noise, embracing authenticity, and enjoying the process.

These are a few of my favorite articles written by brilliant creators Isra A., Joan Westenberg, and Ajayi Olalekan, which helped me recentre my focus and align my craft to my values

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