Since I started writing on Medium in 2019, I haven’t done a look-back on my progress. How far I’ve come and what lessons I’ve learned along the way. An end-of-year review. I’m a novice writer and I’m learning as I go.
Admittedly, I didn’t have any real structure. Much less a goal in mind. I just wanted to write. I wrote what inspired me in those moments. No plan, no deliberate direction, no intent.
I’m usually an organized person, usually relishing structure to most things I do. I didn’t do that with any of my writing. Not on my blog, not on Medium.
With my podcast, I do have a more thematic structure and I’m reflecting on it now, I realize now that I had put more order with that content than with the others.
2019 was a pivotal moment for me, mentally, spiritually, emotionally. Because of my extreme need for a creative outlet at that time, I can see now that I had approached the entire 2019 and my writing haphazardly.
I’m a Virgo and my natural nature is being organized. It kicked in now with the new year, and as I’ve explained in my previous post, was the reason that compelled me to invest in the Content Planner.
I’m also a visual person, and since putting pen to paper, since jotting down random thoughts into the written word, I’m beginning to see order in my haphazardness.
Most importantly, I’m beginning to see where it is I want to go and what it is I want to do with my writing on Medium.
Reflection versus Takeaway
Medium is a wonderful platform where I learn so many things and get inspired. And all of the stories have takeaways. Life lessons imparted. Finer points in life discussed and dissected.
My conundrum is that my own writing won’t always have a takeaway for the reader. Sometimes I do and sometimes I don’t. For the ones where I don’t, I usually don’t write them there.
That’s when I came across writing about reflections versus providing takeaways. There’s actually a thing out there defining my personal writing conundrum.
Some critics of memoir believe that reflection is the navel-gazing part of the memoir… ~ The Heart of Memoir Writing: Takeaway (Writer’s Digest)
I’m still learning the difference between the two concepts but I’m finding that my writing leans heavier towards reflective writing. But after a brief search in Google about the two, I now absolutely believe that it’s in the eyes of the reader whether or not a reflection becomes a “takeaway”.
Which is the reason why I took a break from Medium, since December. I have stories to write but they don’t have practical takeaways for the reader. My stories aren’t always going to be a How-To.
Honestly, I won’t always have How-to stories, and I don’t want to write those stories either. I don’t want to instruct anyone, and if my writing inspires the reader, then it does. If it doesn’t, then it doesn’t.
I just want to write, and write well.
So since I’m in planning mode for all my writing and creative outlets, I’ve now an idea for my little space in the Medium universe. Something more authentic for me. Whether or not it ultimately resonates with the reader, well, I’ll leave that to the Universe to drive.
More to come soon.
Sally in the Zen
