The Life Of A Young and Aspiring Writer
What does writing look like for a newcomer? How does one balance work, school, and the such all while consistently writing? Today, I will answer those questions by telling my story.
My Path To Medium
I’ve wanted to be a writer for so long. It finally feels like I’m able to see my dream following the success I have found on Medium, and my life has completely changed.
For my whole time in high school, I’ve been fairly normal.
While I may be a little smarter than the given student, I do pretty much the same as what everyone would expect; I play a sport for club and school, and I’m still deciding where I will play in college.
On top of that, I work at a local fast-food restaurant, so that makes three priorities I have in my life: school, work, and sports. All fairly standard.
However, that all changed when I started seriously pursuing writing.
Since I can remember, I’ve wanted to be a writer and an archaeologist.
Recently, I began to feel like I wanted to start my career now, rather than wait until later on.
So, I started doing research. I found Medium while scouring the web for popular places to post articles, and I’ve been blown away by my experience.
I started off writing a couple articles independently, but then began to look into writing for publications.
I first found a home for my sporting mind in the publications “SportsRaid” and “Beyond The Scoreboard,”who have both been great to me.
Then came “Lessons From History,” a well-known history publication on Medium.
The stories I write there free my geeky side, letting me show the world my knowledge and my desire to piece together the human story, a jigsaw puzzle with infinite pieces.
Then, most recently, I received an invite from the renowned writer Dr. Mehmet Yildiz.
This invite included confirmation of my addition to the writing staff at “Illumination,” allowing me to write for the publication as well as its partner programs.
That is where you’ll find this story today.
My Daily Life
Everyday, I’m up at six o’clock. It’s time for school.
I quickly get up, have myself a small breakfast, then go sit back in bed for half an hour.
I firmly believe that half an hour is one of my most productive of the day.
I lie under the covers, borderline freezing, and just think. Almost all of my ideas for stories come during that time, but I don’t write them then. I just store them, like a bear storing its supper for when it’s ready to eat.
After my little siesta, I go get ready, make sure I’m all presentable for the day, then get in the car to go to school.
School isn’t very hard for me. I don’t say that arrogantly, I just say it factually. I only have three classes per day, and the coursework isn’t difficult.
I try to start writing my stories during breaks between learning, or after I have finished all the work for the given class.
I often get a solid start, but never get into the meat and bone of a piece until I get home.
After my schooling, I arrive home. This is the point where I start to feel some fatigue.
I like to decompress and play some games, work out, or read my books.
Following that, I start to write. I try to get one story written per day, but sometimes that just doesn’t happen.
I like to have a firm outline of my piece in my head before I begin writing, rather than just free-flowing my way through an article.
However, once I get going, I’m hard to stop. I write and write and write until I feel like I’ve put all I wanted to into my work.
After a proofread, I go and send it to the publication I wish it to be published in. I do a good job publishing stories in all my publications, as I am truly grateful for the opportunity each and every one of these great organizations has given me.
By this time, it’s about time to leave again. I either have practice or work.
I sporadically try to write during breaks at work, but I don’t get much done during these hours.
I get home late, and I like to relax in a nice hot bath, which helps soothe my body and my mind.
After this I shut it down for the night. I look to get in bed around 11–12, so I can at least get some sleep.
Overall, my life couldn’t be better. Am I busier than other people my age? Absolutely. But do they get as much fulfilment as I do? Doubtful.
There’s no greater feeling than reading back through something you created, something you’re truly proud of.
Being able to write and reach vast audiences on Medium is like a dream come true for me. It’s like I’m able to do what I’ve always wanted to do when I grow up — before I actually grow up.
Instead of being an aspiring writer, I feel like one already. Seeing the support on my stories and the belief from the wonderful publications and their editors make me feel like I found my place.
I no longer feel like I’m outside the looking glass, rather that I’ve entered it and seen the beauty held within, the beauty that is the world of writing.
