The Forgotten Freedom of Being a New Writer
You have a rare opportunity to write without fear
Being a new writer is tough. Sure, the writing part is fun and enjoyable. But the additional baggage that comes with being a new writer pretty much stinks.
No aspiring scribbler wants to go through that rotten phase of knowing that nobody is reading their work and that their metrics — views, reads, followers, claps, etc — aren’t where they want them to be.
But that’s not necessarily a bad thing. In fact, it’s incredibly useful to know that your writing journey is quite literally a blank piece of paper.
The greatest asset of a new writer is that you can write without fear
Think about this for a second. As a new writer, you have the freedom to do as you please. You have the rare opportunity to write without the fear of wondering how your audience will view your stories.
Put simply, your work is less likely to be judged by thousands, because it is less likely to be read by thousands.
And that’s a great advantage to have when starting out. After all, would you really want your first piece to be the one that goes viral? Probably not.
Even if you think what you’ve written is the best story you could ever produce, give it some time, and you’ll realise that you can do better.
Subconsciously, you are still trying to figure out what it means to be a good writer, let alone a great one.
Use this time to experiment. Try out new styles. Find your natural writing voice. Use words you’ve never used before. Explore topics you’ve never once considered.
It takes time to determine what sort of writer you want to become. Treat this early phase as a chance to practice and develop your skillset. One day, you’ll be ready to step up to the major leagues.
Improve your writing, not your metrics
I know it’s hard to ignore the numbers. Your stats are practically staring at you when you open your chosen blogging platform. But you’ve got to find a way to do so.
One of the greatest techniques I’ve recently implemented is deciding not to click on the notifications bell at the top of Medium’s homepage. Instead, I choose to rely on the emails Medium sends in response to important updates — e.g., when an editor replies to a story I’ve submitted, when a reader leaves a comment, etc.
I’d highly recommend this approach, which is discussed further by Amardeep Parmar in his story here.
And with this one simple adjustment to my own writing routine, I now feel more focused than ever. I no longer feel the urge to check how my metrics are progressing. All my energy is directed towards improving my writing, which is the way it should be.
Find ways to detach your writing from the numbers.
Instead, focus your attention on the words you write. Aspire to improve your craft. Form better writing habits.
Eventually, the numbers will play catch-up. But until then, try embracing the freedom that comes with being a new writer.
After all, the ability to write without fear is a privilege reserved exclusively for those who are about to commence their writing journey.
Thank you for reading!
