By now I’m sure you’ve all seen articles from Odyssey popping up on your news feed, and you’ve probably even wondered what it’s all about. You have looked into Odyssey, and you are interested, but you are still having some doubts about whether or not you want to come on as a content creator. This week I am debunking some of the common myths people believe about writing for Odyssey. If you are considering becoming a content creator, you have probably had some of these doubts, but no worries. Many of the creators on my team had the same doubts, but with the support of our community we have been able to overcome any of these obstacles.

1. Writing for Odyssey is a huge time commitment.

When you write for Odyssey, you are only required to submit one article a week. There is no minimum length you have to meet, so write as little or as much as you feel inspired. Some weeks I have the time to write a 1000 word, research based article, and some weeks I only have time for a 300 word editorial. That’s okay. I usually spend a few hours on my article on Friday nights. One or two hours a week is very manageable.

2. I am too busy.

Writing for Odyssey makes you a part of a community of creators and editors who want to get to know you as an individual. Our communities are flexible and editors will do whatever they can to meet your needs. Maybe you can’t make the same weekly deadline as everyone else. You can have a conversation with your editor and establish an alternative deadline that works for you. People with all kinds of schedules can find a way to make Odyssey fit into their lifestyles.

3. I can’t afford to commit so much time if I’m not getting paid.

Odyssey offers incentives for creators who are coming up with the most popular content. If your articles get a certain amount of page views per month, you can get paid. The most important aspect of writing for Odyssey is not about the money, though. Writing for Odyssey is about gaining experience. You can use Odyssey as an internship that looks great on resumes to get you well paying jobs in the future. You are developing skills like learning what content appeals to your readership and marketing over social media. Those are skills that employers want.

4. Writing for Odyssey is essentially having a blog.

While you do have the freedom to write about anything you’d like as an Odyssey content creator, you have the support and guidance of your community of creators. You’re not alone. If you get writer’s block or have a question about the content management platform, you have a whole team of people who would love to help. Your articles go through an editing process to make sure things like spelling and formatting are consistent with other Odyssey content, so you don’t have to worry about accidentally posting an article with an embarrassing typo or grammatical error like you would with a blog. You also have the recognition of writing for a well known national company.

5. I won’t be able to write one article a week. I don’t have that much to say.

You have a voice and Odyssey allows you to make yourself heard. Your unique perspective allows you to develop a following that wants to read or watch what you have to say. You can express yourself in prose, poetry, or video and switch your medium to keep things fresh. You can say anything you want. I really do mean anything. Tackle a controversial social issue or write a tribute to your cute puppy.

Of course, everyone gets writer’s block every once in awhile, but you will have a community of creators who are familiar with your work who can help point you toward ideas for your weekly publication that suit your style. You will be surprised to find that once you start writing, ideas for new articles occur to you all the time as you go about your daily life. Write about your own experiences and what matters to you.

Writing for Odyssey is an incredibly rewarding internship that I am sure will help me develop skills that will be crucial for my future career. Expressing myself and discovering that others

care about what matters to me too is more than I expected to gain from Odyssey, and that fulfillment far outweighs the costs.