Rediscovering Writing for Writing's Sake

Circa 2017 MA essay writing set up

For the best part of twenty years, I've been posting and producing online content. From choosing the best theme for my MySpace profile, capturing the perfect shot for Instagram, or uploading ridiculous TikTok content, I've dabbled in it all. Yet, in spite of all that, I always make a return to writing. 

I have to admit, my written content over the past few years has been lacking. I've had so many pieces that have never left the drafts; either because I've never been able to get the words on the page in the exact way that I want, or because I'm scared that no one will read them. If anything has shifted in the time that I've been on social media, it's feeling that if you're going to post, the content needs to get engagement. For many, putting content out that no one will like feels embarrassing and cringe worthy. Even worse, is publishing something that you think is fantastic, which you cringe at when you look at it several years after.

Extract from a now 10 year old post

In spite of that, I've decided that now is the time for me to get back into writing. Is there a high probability that I'll cringe at this post in years to come? Probably. However, that's a risk that I'm willing to take. I find writing cathartic. I enjoy the creative process. In years to come, pieces that I've written will serve as portals into the past, giving me an insight into how I was feeling in a particular moment. Not only that, it's a way that I can still produce online content without spending hours on end mindlessly scrolling through my FYP. 

What will I write about? A bit of everything. Some may advise against that. Some may say that having no niche may prevent my blog from gaining traction. I'm ok with that. Trying to stick to a niche in the past has not served me well. I've found that I ran out of ideas very quickly, and gave up on trying to write anything at all. The other problem with sticking to a niche is that online trends move quickly. You could base all of your content around the topic of the moment, only to find that no one is interested a few weeks later. By writing about whatever I want, I can be far more versatile in my output.

When will I put out content? Whenever I feel like it. Another stumbling block I've always had is feeling the need to create content to a schedule. I know if you want to grow online, consistency is key. However, in the twenty years I've been producing content I've never really blown up even when I have tried to stick to a schedule. If I haven't made it by now it's probably not going to happen, so I may as well allow myself to just do whatever. It takes the pressure off. The best pieces of writing will come in the most random of moments; and, let's face it, when is a good writer known to finish anything on time anyway?

Some may argue that writing blogs in the age of generative AI is pointless. Why spend time typing out hundreds of words when generative AI can do it in seconds? Some may also argue that no one reads blogs any more. Short form, easy to digest content is all the rage now because no one has an attention span they say. If anything, this gives me more reason to keep writing. We're not at a stage where it's a lost art, and there are tonnes of incredible writers out there. AI can be useful to writers, it can help us to proof read a piece for example. Writers still need their own voice though, their own bit of flair. Although I doubt that this will get a huge audience, I'm here on my own tiny corner of the internet rambling away in my own distinct voice.