HELP — Someone Kinda Stole My Story!
Navigating the Creative Universe Amidst the Fear of Missing Out
This Saturday has a Sunday feel. I wake up, answer my social media messages, have breakfast, and return to bed to read some of the Medium stories I had saved during the week. A moment of peace and relaxation in my usually busy schedule.
I’m engrossed in the third or fourth story of one of my recently discovered favorite authors — Alex Hershman — when a notification pops up on my screen about an article about blue balls. My brain cells immediately go from a mellow bachata to the fast pace of acrobatic rock!
Who dares to mess up my zen and publish an article about a quirky topic that was meant to be mine?! One that had been sitting in my draft stories for a week — all polished and ready for fame. Rage fuels my eyes.
My article hasn’t been published only because I’ve been waiting for a publication to decide on my fate… and clearly, I have made the wrong choice, as someone ‘poached’ my brilliant idea and the publication ended up declining my story.
I go mental and start wondering if the author of the blue balls article that just popped-up on my screen was part of the publishing team that rejected my article, only to write her own take on the topic. I bark at the ceiling.
