I joined Medium to become a better writer.

How it’s going so far…

As a true introvert, writing is my favourite medium for communication. It gives me time to craft a response without feeling awkward or nervous. As an entrepreneur who relies on social media to make an income, Instagram in particular, it’s been challenging and draining trying to keep up with the app.

Photo by Andrew Neel on Unsplash

I can totally act a goof on Reels and show up in stories but I don’t like to or want to. I enjoy writing captions and creating pretty graphics to go alongside my thoughts. I’ve done my fair share of long-form blogging but I feel I tend to overdo it and it turns into a big time-thief.

I really want to learn how to write better so I can get my thoughts out clearly and concisely.

I often daydream of traveling in southern France with the only thing on my to-do list is to do some writing and reflection. If I can become a better writer, then maybe that can be a reality for me.

My writing struggles

1. ADHD brain. I need to find or create a structure that works for my ADHD brain. It’s always been hard to slow my thoughts long enough to really write what I mean to express. Often a good idea will come and go in an instant.
2. Writer imposter syndrome. I think I’ve psyched myself out too much to believe I could ever be a good writer. In my mind, there are so many rules when it comes to writing. When there are too many rules, writing loses it’s fun. I don't even know what those rules are. I don’t have a great vocabulary. Will anyone even read what I write? You get it… the imposter syndrome is real.
3. I don’t read enough. Probably because of the ADHD brain, reading is hard to keep up with. I enjoy it when I don’t have a million things on my mind, but that’s rare. If I read more, I’d become a better writer. I actually love the length of Medium content for this reason. I’d take shorter content over a novel any day.
4. I never write for fun. I write mostly for sales and marketing content in my business, Josette Agency. I write a lot but it feels like the purpose is to sell something or increase SEO or all of those other boring marketing goals. I guess Medium is the same, but I hope to find a bit of enjoyment from it to motivate me to be consistent.
5. This brings us to the final point, I’m inconsistent. I’d really like to write something every day, so far I have but have a hard time actually finishing a piece every day. I have many half-written pieces, but I need to press publish more.

How I am going to become a better writer

1. Listen to the pros. I will connect with, follow, engage with and get to know the methods of the best writers on Medium. I’ll read content that shares advice and tips on being a better writer. If that’s you, let yourself be known! What I have enjoyed on Medium so far is the amount of giving I’ve seen in the community.
2. Create a writing structure. A quick pre-game outline before sitting and writing would help me stay on track. Without this, I tend to write all over the place to get to my point. It leaves readers feeling lost and confused or bored and annoyed. Structure is key for the neurodiverse brain.
3. Not give a shit about if anyone likes my content. Write anyways. I bet people will like it anyways. I will resist the temptation to re-read it again and again before publishing. Just friggen’ do it, already!
4. Read Medium content regularly and not just about marketing, writing but other things that interest me.
5. Allow myself to write about any topic I enjoy. Although I am joining for business purposes, which is why my publication is called Josette Journal after my business Josette Agency, I want to give myself the freedom to write about topics I am passionate about such as my Indigenous genealogy, social justice issues, single mom stuff and more. I will tag each topic properly and focus my publication on minimalist marketing content.
6. I won’t pressure myself to write all of the time, but I will ensure I am consistent. I don’t want a goal for publishing articles, but I will do my best to do so at least once a week and incorporate it into my self-care routines. I need to make a schedule that I can stick to and make sure I am motivated to keep up with it. If I got some claps and followers, that would help. 😉 Light candles, make a fresh cappuccino, put on some music, and write to enjoy it. That sounds delightful!

If you have any tips for helping me become a better writer, please let me know. I’m looking forward to sharing this journey with the Medium community.