The first 6 months
A quick reflection on regularly writing for half a year.
I started writing a little over six months ago.
It was both the best and worst decision.
When you start doing something new, people have thoughts.
And this is what prevents … I want to say 90%, so I will … 90% of people from sharing a piece of themselves.
Few people want to be on display. With enough exposure that people can form negative opinions.
So the fear of judgment must be overcome with other motivations.
I have multiple motivations. But mostly, at my core, I am a writer.
I write to think.
I write to feel time.
And, subconsciously, I write to not disappoint Ms. Robins.
In second grade, I handed her my Halloween-inspired short story about a spider.
She returned my graded A+ paper and wrote at the top, “Some day, I’ll see your name in lights!”
At the time, my overactive imagination could only conjure up images of Singing in the Rain and the scenes where everyone arrives at the premiere of The Royal Rascal.
I don’t have delusions of granduer but I do have a desire to escape into the page.
And a desire to help others.
To give back.
Here’s what I’ve decided I like:
Writing for hours on end (usually Sundays) with no interruptions
Deep research — reading and watching what others have said on the topic and incorporating it into my thinking
Essay style writing — I don’t get to my thesis until the very end usually and then I rewrite the whole thing
Creating visuals, although I wish I were better at this
Editing — especially if my college-age son is willing to help
Reading long-form essays so therefore I usually write in long-form
Satisfaction of finishing something hard
Hearing from readers that an article was helfpul all the way to life-changing
Here’s what I don’t know yet:
What are my focus areas or “content pillars”?
Is it too personal? Not personal enough?
Should I (can I even?) publish consistently, same day/time?
How often should I publish?
How long is too long?
I have open rate numbers but how many people are reading to the end?
If I started a podcast, would anyone tune in?
If you’re interested in helping me improve on the things I don’t know yet, I’ve created this short survey.
I’d love to hear your thoughts. Thank you for your help!
Here’s to six more months and seeing what a full year of writing brings!
Thank you to all of you, my readers.