Why I started writing online and why you should too

I started writing online on August 31, 2023. That’s 137 days ago by the time this newsletter hits your inbox.

In that time, I’ve posted every day on X (formerly known as Twitter), published 14 newsletters, and gained 250 followers on X.

I’m going to give you three reasons why I started writing online, and why you should do it too.

But first, I’m going to talk to you about some of the reasons why I hesitated to start for so long.

Why I hesitated to start writing online

I was terrified of being bad. And I was even more terrified other people would think I was bad too.

That’s until I realized something.

In order to be an expert in something. In order to be knowledgeable about a specific topic. In order to look like you know what you’re doing. 

You have to wander around blindly.

You have to be willing to look like a fool.

Looking like a fool was what I was afraid was going to happen if I revealed too much about myself. It seemed like I was exposing myself to the world. Because in a sense that’s what you’re doing when you write.

To write something that people find interesting to read, you need to be relatable.

You need to show that you understand other people’s struggles because you’ve lived them too.

I was also afraid of giving up because it would be too stressful. I had quit other things before because it was too stressful. And I almost quit writing online because it was too stressful.

Which is when I decided to take a step back. Focus on the writing. Focus on self-improvement.

And then added on as I went along. I am always searching for a way to do things where I can consistently improve.

All while not placing too much pressure on myself.

Gained Self-Confidence

By being open and honest in sharing what I was doing, and how I was doing, I witnessed great amounts of support.

Social media can be a very supportive environment if you surround yourself with the right kind of people.

The amount of positive thoughts that came my way made me believe in my abilities. And by consistently engaging with people online, it’s continually being reinforced.

Improved My Writing

I started writing online at the same time I started attending a creative writing course at my university.

These two things made me practice consistently. And by practicing consistently I saw fast improvement.

A ton of posts from when I first started make me cringe today. And I instantly see where it can be improved.

Recently I started to learn copywriting.

And it showed me how to more effectively structure posts to get people to click or engage. Most of the time, what I wrote had all the right components. But they were in the wrong order, or my sentences were filled up with fluff.

Improved Vision of the Future

Starting to write online also taught me what other people are building for themselves. 

I saw that there were so many opportunities. So many different paths to pursue.

I’m inspired by other people’s lifestyles and the way they approach their work, relationships, and life.

Seeing other people following their path, some of them even telling you how they got there, made me believe I could do it too.

That’s why I now allow myself to want things.

I want to keep writing.

I want to keep creating stories.

I want to start making money online.

Right now the clearest path towards that is building an online course. And I’m currently building that course on X where you can follow along.

Hope you enjoyed this issue of the newsletter.

If you are thinking about starting or looking to become more consistent, use this newsletter as proof of what can be done in a very short time.

It’s more than possible to do what I have done.

I have even seen people move further in shorter times.