Don’t Give up Writing
Even if you got less than 5 views
I have frequented Medium for a few months. I have been a reader for most of the time, published a few stories. They did not get many exposures. However, I do not stop writing.
Here are some perks I realize after writing/journaling for a while;
I reflect better through my writing
Every time I get an idea of what to write, it usually comes out of nowhere. It just pops up, I would hurriedly click ‘New Story’ and leave a sentence or two. After some time when I feel the urge to write more of it, I go back to the draft. I start dissecting my messy thought regarding a certain topic and try to go through rationalization. Words just come naturally if you really put some serious thought into it.
It helps to unleash my inner monologue
I think a LOT. Being an intuitive person, the thinking flow is on loop. From A to B to C to infinity. Sometimes they are not even related. As long as they are in my head, I keep thinking about them repeatedly. They iterate until I write them down. It feels like ‘phew, there you go’ literally. Writing also helps me pure heavy stuff out. A heartbreak, a lost friendship, lost lending money. Personally, they mentally feel as heavy as hell. I cannot live overthinking about the unfix-ables all the time, so I resort to writing. It significantly helps me go through a hard time.
One of the best ways to raise self-awareness
Whenever I write, I focus on asking myself what I really think about it, really feel about it. Why do I think so? I have to be mindful and sincere with my own thought. Consequently, I come to know myself better. Having a clear perception of various aspects of oneself plays a huge role in self-growth. Sometimes, it just comes down to the question, why you’re doing what you’re doing. When I put thoughts into my actions and reasons behind them, I can see the direction better. Practice in self-awareness is a gradual process. Do not overthink it!
Focus and organized
One’s thought per second would yield 86,400 thoughts. Let’s slow down and focus on one thing that is interesting at the moment, and organize it with other relevant thoughts. Having organized thoughts leads to organized actions. Multitasking is a devil in disguise. The outcome seems efficient but, is it really? It is easy to lose focus and collectively produce a mediocre result. It is as bad as eating two slices of pizza in one bite. So prioritize and have a focus, life will be much more organized.
Writing skill gets better (and better through constructive criticism)
English is not my native language. I used to write a blog but in my native language. (a long time ago anyway) Writing stories in English is a fresh start for me. I have always been wanting to do this, I do not know what held me back, but gladly I am doing it! As I get to write more and more, I become more confident and constructive. “If you want to be better at writing, then keep writing. Better yet, share it in public in the hope of getting constructive criticism.” I read this from somewhere. Even though my stories got a very small number of views, expecting little to no feedback, I have got more feedback from the editors. Definitely better than nothing at all.
I write for myself
I personally relate to whatever I write. To put it simply, I believe what it is for how it is. So far, I have written stories about personal experiences. That one heartbreak that I am still trying to get over with. The way I have overcome procrastination lately. Thoughts on life in the 20s in general. These are things I have been thinking about a LOT. So why not journal? one of the best ways to wisely keep up with my life.
When I started drafting this article, all my previous stories got no more than 5 views. One day, one of my stories has been recommended in a category, it’s become ‘member-only’, the thing that has a paywall. That story got more views than others as it got more exposure.
So hopefully, you continue to write. One day there will be more readers to come. However, don’t be obsessed with the views, remember that you also write for the sake of yourself. The one that most benefits of writing is you.
