In 2 Years!

Picture from Istock by alexsi

What started barely as documenting my writings to show to prospective employers as proof that I could write, has gradually evolved to become a calling and a career for me, and i love every bit of it.

I remember the first day I decided to publish my first story like it was yesterday. Short story, I love writing and posting on my Whatsapp stories, while I got engagements for some stories, for some I didn't get, some stories had my emotion(good and bad) all laced over and some just felt like I was just writing rubbish. 😂

The Effect of Offense on Relationship

All of a sudden I got a nudge to intensify my effort and include intentionality and that was how I published my first story 2 years ago. I had discovered Medium about 2 years before then, but I never used it till that particular season of my life.

Looking back, all I can say is that God has been faithful to me, he held my hands and I scribbled his instructions to his beloved.

In two years, I have successfully published 50+ stories on my blog, wrote and published a book, compiled a memoir that will be published in a few months, launched a podcast series on content writing, got 5 speaking engagements opportunities, built confidence in my writing skill, developed efficient content writing skills, amongst other things.

I have had days when I got 0 views and 0 reads for months, and I’ve had days when I got numbers, claps, and follows. One question on my mind when I started was what if nobody reads or appreciates what I write, the holy spirit nudged me to still keep writing. My mistake was that because I assumed people would not want to read what I write, I held back from sharing, and even for the few times when I shared my stories, I didn’t get traction and I got discouraged.

Mistakes I made in 2 years

1. I was unbothered about quality because I assumed nobody would be willing to read my story. I just wrote and hit the publish button. While I had a great story to share, my grammatical errors would make it difficult for my readers to understand the information I was sharing and that defeats the entire purpose of writing. So, I advise that you show up, and even when you do, show up well and excellent.
2. I was worried about the possibility of getting people to read my stories, and also assumed that I may not be a great writer after all, and in a bid to hide my writings, I never shared my stories with my audience, especially on Whatsapp which was my most used social media platform back then. I wasn’t confident in my abilities and it affected me on the journey. It’s not enough that you can do it, the people you are doing it for, share it for them to see.
3. I was scared of criticism, and it made me avoid writing more. I wasn’t comfortable with people complaining about me or what I do, so I held back from writing as many stories as possible and also from sharing my story. Little did I know that there is constructive criticism which will not entirely make you feel bad about your work but make you feel bad enough to do better next time. Now, I honestly look forward to getting them, as it will help me become better at writing, the same way it will make you become better and skillful at what you do.
4. I almost gave up on writing. I had my share of writer’s block, i could go for days not being able to write and i’ve also had days when i finished a story in 5 hours and sometimes longer. The times when I won helped me feel better for the days and weeks i couldn’t write anything. It can be as weird as just walking down the street and i have a piece developed in my head. Sometimes, you’d be stuck and clueless about what to do or where to go, don’t give up. Take a break and come back when you think you are ready.

One incident I can’t forget was when I asked the holy spirit for ideas to write about and he told me he wouldn’t give ideas to someone who is reluctant to develop them. He was right, i had ideas in my draft that i didn’t think would resonate with my audience so i left them in my drafts. Don’t judge me, but i currently have 50 stories in my draft, 😢 😂, I’m working on developing them to full stories already.

Get an email whenever Christiana Olawumi publishes.

I have learnt so much more than I can capture in this blogpost, and would still keep learning. I look forward to becoming better at my craft and helping other people do the same. I look forward to transforming negative narratives with my pen and contributing my quota to the growth and development of the society.

If you enjoyed reading this, don’t forget to clap as many times as possible, recommend to your friends and family, or drop your kind words as comments. You can also reach out to me on Twitter if you would love to have a chat with me.