Write With Meaning Over Following a Trend
Why I choose to give value to readers more than just staying on top of the trend
I think there is nothing wrong with finding topics that can boost your views in Medium. I would be a hypocrite if I say I don’t want to monetize what I write. But as you venture into wanting to land on the first page of one's Google search, I want us to also think more about the value we provide our readers. Yes, we can choose to publish trending topics but give an even bigger yes to meaningful content because the values you instill pay more over time.
Writing is special
It is a privilege and seeing even just one person reading my story is already something so extraordinary. Writing is a gift and not everyone gets the chance to write stories about their lives. The words you write connect you to someone reading it from another part of the world. When you stop writing for some reason, these words will continue to be here and some may even surpass their own lifetime.
There are no similar stories, only unique writers
Just think how many words have been written since the internet has started and that even as you are reading this, every second there’s another story being written. In this infinitely vast resource of information, what can truly set you apart? There has been a lot of writers who have written about the same topic over and over and yet there is still room to write about it. The only unique thing you can ever write about is the meaning you give to it. Just like no two persons are the same, except maybe identical twins but even then there are still nuances to how each person writes.
The only unique thing you can ever write about is the meaning you give to it.
Pretty yet shallow
There were so many instances that I got attracted to clickbait titles only to stop reading midway because the content was nothing like its title at all. I felt like the article just wanted attention. I felt ripped off. Readers may want to click on catchy titles but eventually, it is the juice of the story that can make them want to finish reading till the end. Be one of those writers that make us want to really clap at the insights that you shared.
Stories are seeds
The views you incite in your stories, directly and indirectly, influence the people who read. It’s like a seed that implants itself in the minds of those who have read it. It’s how fake news spread wildly if taken too far. The information or ideas you share with your readers gets picked up by someone and eventually multiplies itself. Knowing this becomes increasingly important especially for writers who have grown a substantial amount of followers. Know always the seed you want to sow to anyone who reads what you write.
Final Thoughts
So as I go about writing articles here, I want to look back years from now and be grateful for the chance to still be here, to share value to people who had the time in their busy lives to read. The purpose I get in writing these articles adds up to my own invisible stats that lately I have come to consider more each time I decide to check my views in Medium. To my fellow writers, let’s continue to write and write more with meaning in mind.
