I have been writing for the Odyssey for a little over two years now, and it’s safe to say I absolutely love it. Having the freedom and ability to write about whatever I want on a weekly basis not only improves my writing abilities but also encourages me to pay attention to what’s going on and stay attuned to the world.
Still, it’s not always fun and games. This past year, it was made known to me that every time I write an article, I have to ensure that it is shared on several social media platforms, one of which is Facebook. Initially, I didn’t find this to be much of a problem, that was until I wrote my article for the next week.
There’s something so freeing about being able to write whatever you want, and part of that stems from the fact that you get to choose topics that interest you. Additionally, part of what I loved was not just writing what I wanted, but when I wrote something that could prove to be controversial amongst some, I didn’t have to share it.
That all changed a few months back, and it greatly influenced how I thought about my articles moving forward.
I wish I could say that I don’t care whether people like my articles or if my content sparks heated discussion, but I do. When you manage any kind of social media content, whether it’s a blog or writing for a website ,you care about your viewership and how they receive your articles, and you should! Part of the reason why you do it in the first place is because this audience is so important to you, and you don’t want to let them down.
One of the greatest benefits about being a writer is that you have the opportunity to help, encourage, motivate, educate, and support other people. When you write a public article, you open up the possibility for people to read that article and resonate with it in some way. Whether it’s learning about a new sport or feeling supported about a person struggle, your aud ience views you as a confidant in as little as 500 words.
But what happens if you write something that not everyone will love? Does that mean you shouldn’t share it?
I spent a great deal of my time the first year writing for Odyssey sticking to anything I was interested in, and once I was encouraged to make my writing public, my topics changed. I paid more attention to what I was writing about and how it might be received by certain people. I cared more about touching upon the critical points and asking the question of what the big takeaway would be at the end.
When you choose to write publicly, you have to embrace the fact that not everyone will think your writing is advanced or profound, and that sometimes, people will disagree. Still, you cannot shy away from the topics that you feel are important or critical to analyze because words do have the ability to promote change and help people.
For those of you who are writers or are thinking about becoming writers for a public platform, my advice is this:
Do it. Do not shy away from it because you’re worried about the content that you are writing about or whether you’ll have 1,000 social engagements in minutes.
Instead, do it because you are passionate about it and because it allows you to instill passion in others.
Most importantly, remember that being “public” shouldn’t make you fearful of talking about the difficult topics. Rather, view the accessibility of your work as encouragement to proofread, edit, and hone ideas that you genuinely think people will appreciate.
Going “public” may have changed the way I view my content, but it certainly didn’t discourage me from writing any less.