Every Writer Deserves a Chance
Even if they suck.
Even if they suck
Let’s be honest: There are writers whose writing voice we admire and those we don’t. While I can’t force you to like every story you read, what I can do is ask you to clap for the stories you don’t love. It might sound ridiculous; why would you give 50 claps for stories you don’t enjoy?
The short answer is to show support to writers.
Claps are not just claps
Claps are motivation and encouragement.
When I joined Medium in April, the most claps I gave an article was one. At that time, I thought claps weren’t a big deal, one clap is enough. I was wrong. When I’m in the shoes of a writer myself, I realize how much claps mean to me. Every clap I receive, the fire within me burns to continue writing. However, something is bothering me. Why wouldn’t everyone give me 50 claps? Is my article not worth 50 claps?
I give 50 claps to a story even though I don’t enjoy as much; topics that don’t interest me as much. I do this to encourage writers to write more. Fifty claps can mean the world to a new writer starting on Medium. Every clap you give is an appreciation to let the writer know someone out there appreciates their writing. And they are motivated to get better. All it takes is a few more seconds for the calps to reach 50. For new writers, 50 claps can mean the world to them.
We were once a noob writer
I know some articles are rubbish, with no breaks in between long chunks of paragraphs, spelling errors, bad grammar, and even no featured image.
These articles are the reflections of our past self. We all started nowhere better than them as writers. Unless you are one of those who write beautiful articles from the get-go, chances are that your writing was horrible at the start. Take a look at your first article and your latest article on Medium. Do you see a significant difference? I bet you did.
I firmly believe every writer deserves a chance, even if they suck. Everyone was a rookie when they started as a writer. Nobody starts out writing fascinating articles. I support any Medium writers I can find and encourage them to the best of my ability. I know it’s hard to start on Medium as a completely new writer. I love encouraging other new writers like myself to keep doing their craft.
Don’t be quick to judge their writing
Who knows, maybe the writer whose articles were absolute trash ends up as one of the top writers on Medium? Writers’ first 100 articles they write are not the best representation of their writing ability and potential. It’s under the experiment phase.
After they passed the 100th article mark, their writing takes a dramatic change. They’ve finally discovered their unique writing voice and style, how to grab the reader’s attention to get them reading from start to finish. Some writers do take a longer time to improve on their craft; for most writers, it takes about 100 articles.
I bet all those publications that rejected J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter Series regret their decision now. The writing they once see as low quality and standard is now the biggest read of all time.
Loneliness and Helplessness
When I first started on Medium a month ago, I was alone. There was no support from anyone. I felt so alone in the journey, and I didn’t know where to look for help when I had questions on Medium. I had to figure out how Medium works by myself while reading some articles on Medium along the way. Whenever a reader claps, highlights, or comments on my story, there’s a motivation to keep writing.
I’m grateful for those writers who are willing to comment and share their thoughts on my articles. I genuinely appreciate them. I want to take this opportunity to thank fellow Medium writers Shin Jie Yong and Connie Song, for taking the time to leave responses on my stories and come back for my articles frequently. I appreciate the engagement with my stories. Genuine readers are rare.
I’m not saying this to expect readers to keep coming back for my article and leave comments on every single story. I want to acknowledge their genuineness. You never know how much it encourages me when I receive responses to my articles. It means the world to me. I appreciate any honest thoughts about my stories, even if you don’t like it, feel free to say it. Then, I can analyze what went wrong. Knowing that I can’t please everybody, some don’t like my writing voice or my writing in general. That’s perfectly fine with me.
Most of my followers don’t stop by my profile more than once. I know this because I’m still in an unhealthy obsession with my Medium stats and notifications, I take note of whoever highlights and claps. Some people read my stories and decided to give me a follow, while followers don’t read and engage with my stories.
Money is one of the reasons I joined Medium, it’s not the reason for me to stay and continue. I write because it’s my passion, and nothing will stop me from keep writing. I do not discriminate readers just because they are non paying members. Every reader is valuable to me. To everyone who has read my stories, thank you.
All it takes is a few seconds on your end
Simply by holding the clap button for a few more seconds, you can change a writer’s life. Maybe, all the writer needed was another one clap to continue his craft, to finally, turn those creative ideas hiding the dark into beautiful stories.
You might not feel the power of claps, but you can do something to release that power.
