I don’t want to go the traditional routes
I made the transition to fiction a couple of months ago. It wasn’t easy, knowing how less lucrative fiction is compared to nonfiction.
As a kid, all I wrote was fiction. Stories developed in my mind, daydreams of publishing books as an adult fueled my passion. Even when I gave it up after being told it wasn’t a viable career, I couldn’t let it go completely.
In an incompleted quest to find a good mix of profitable and low-pressure writing careers (I bounced around ideas from narrative design to starting another blog), I decided to take a crack at fiction again, despite myself. …
The online working world has become crazier. More people are working from home and those with already established businesses are seeing an increase in competition.
I felt the need to…
When I started writing on here, I didn’t know where it would lead. I went through plenty of ups and downs. I wanted to quit many times and eventually, I did.
It all became too much. When I realized the money potential, it became my driving force. I researched popular topics, wrote about trends, then became discouraged when the stats didn’t reflect my effort.
I felt defeated. I blamed the system, blamed myself for not being lucky enough. I gave up on a platform I did well on. (700-ish followers may seem small to some, but it’s the most I’ve ever had anywhere.) I didn’t appreciate my growth because it wasn’t fast enough. I was disappointed when I lost followers or my numbers dipped. …
Oversaturated markets are no excuse not to flourish
The world is a scary place. Its large size is intimidating and the amount of people it's filled with is even more so.
It’s as if there’s no room. No room to stand out. No room to grow.
What you want to do in life has already been accomplished by others. Your grand plans won’t come to fruition because you’re insignificant.
You think to yourself, there’s no room for me so why bother? You justify this thought process by holding back, to let yourself stay in a box where it’s comfortable.
It happened to me.
My writing suffered. I avoided expanding my career due to that thought. I’d focus on how saturated the writing market is and give up. What’s the point in putting out articles and stories if there’s so much of it already out there? …
At least you tried
There are days when energy flows throughout my veins and I’m cranking out work left and right. Other days are filled with procrastination, hesitation, and fear.
When inspiration is hard to come by, nothing gets done. I’m left with a bundle of emotions — guilt, anger, sadness. I’m guilty of not working hard enough; I’m angry for allowing myself to procrastinate; I’m sad because I’m not progressing.
What results is a vicious cycle where I’m constantly doubting my abilities to keep up a good writing career.
High expectations
When I started writing as my career, I set ridiculously high expectations. I saw what everyone else in the field was doing and I wanted to be in the same space. …
It’s about what works for you
When I became a writer, I imagined the lifestyle that came with it: a desk in front of the window, endless inspiration, readers adoring everything I put out. This was it, I was going to be a full-time creative, expressing myself and my imagination through words.
Or, that’s how I thought it would be.
Currently, my desk is not in front of the window (I’m lucky to have one at all; it’s a built-in that came with the apartment). …
Kick it to the curb
I never used to think of myself as a perfectionist. I hated school, my grades were poor, and all I wanted to do when I got home was write and draw.
I’d trace characters from an online indie comic and stories developed from playing games or my vivid imagination. I didn’t try to be the best artist or writer.
When I entered adulthood, that all changed.
Drawing and writing were put on the back burner while I aimed for a more stable career. After years of entertaining one I didn’t want, I went back to my passion: writing.
I started a blog to get my feet wet and to navigate this new territory. At first, it was fun. I wrote about topics that interested me and what resulted were followers and blogging friends. …
Give yourself a break by throwing out your resolutions list
A new year marks the beginning of setting resolutions. It’s the same ones advertised over and over again to help those gain a starting point: weight loss, chasing your dreams, and finding everlasting love.
Some look forward to the new year and what opportunities it will bring. Others focus on what could go wrong or try to force happiness in hopes of setting the theme for the months ahead.
Resolutions incite anxiety in a lot of us. Setting such distinct goals don’t offer motivation, only fear.
The way we view goal-making is as a hit or miss. If we succeed, we’ve made it, we’re accomplished. We’ll experience instant happiness which will melt any sadness and spread goodness through the rest of the year. …
Put negativity in its place.
Negative self-talk never helps. It only hurts. It normally starts by thinking we aren’t good enough or worthy.
It’s time to banish that thinking entirely. Here’s how you can conquer negative self-talk.
Stop Comparing
Comparison is a death sentence to creativity and self-worth. The moment you start analyzing what everyone around you is doing, you’ll enter a dark tunnel with no end in sight.
Social media makes comparison tempting. You log onto Facebook or Instagram to check in on friends and those you admire. Next thing you know, you’re endlessly scrolling and drowning in a flood of emotions.
When you stop to admire a stunning photo or someone’s success story, you wonder why it hasn’t happened to you or why you can’t be as great as them. All the negativity stirring in your mind won’t help you accomplish anything. …
Not listening to my dad is number one
As of late, I’ve been dealing with this weird feeling. It feels as if I fell asleep when I turned 18 and woke up a few years later. During this time, everything to do with my career feels like a blur.
I dropped out of school at 17 and by the time I hit 18, I was lost. I didn’t know what to do for a career — what I wanted from my future. I bounced around ideas before finally settling on creating a business I would end up regretting later.
Those memories and the feelings from that time play on repeat. I can’t help but think of all the things I should’ve done instead. …
