I’ve always wanted to be a writer. I never knew just what kind of writer I wanted to be, but I’ve always had this incredible sense of satisfaction that came from seeing my words on paper. My entire childhood I kept journals, diaries, stories and my self-crafted little books. Throughout my adult years, I have documented my life via private Blogs, Tumblr, Facebook and the notes section of my cell phone. I write very long winded, strongly worded letters whenever I have the chance. I write poetry and song lyrics daily. I have a deep love for words and the art form of carefully crafting words together until they create a masterpiece that tells a story that is meaningful, and sounds beautiful.

I’ve always kept my writing to myself and have only, rarely, shared it with some of the most important people in my life. I had convinced myself that with enough practice and time that somehow I would feel “ready’ to share my writing publicly. I thought that when that time came, I would start blogging. It wasn't until recently that an opportunity to write on a few different public platforms, fell into my lap, and I decided to go for it. I knew my writing wasn’t perfect, but I felt like the timing and my place in life was such that I was ready to take a chance and write publilcy. All I had to do was submit one article per week, and it only had to be a minimum of 500 words. How hard could that be for somebody who was in love with writing?

The answer? It is hard! The truth about writing is that regardless of how much you enjoy doing it, once you commit to putting your thoughts on paper for the public eye to see every week, it becomes a lot of mixed emotions that are hard to traverse.

Here are 5 surprising things I’ve learned about writing for an audience.

1. Writing for an audience requires a whole lot of vulnerability. Let’s face it; it’s hard to be real in a society that seems so comfortable with surface level conversations. Social media has made it so that most conversations that are visible to our friends and family are carefully crafted to show precisely the parts of us we are willing to bare. Who wants to read 500 words on my trip to the DMV, my five loads of laundry I just completed or my recent bout with the flu. The answer is nobody. People want to read content that means something to them, which means they want to read content that means something to me. Something that digs below the surface; Something that is “real”, and THAT is scary. It’s scary to write something meaningful knowing that anybody can read it and because writing is so subjective, it’s scary to wonder how what I put to paper, may impact another person.

2. Mistakes are embarrassing. It’s hard to admit, but my writing is far from perfect. The fact that I enjoy writing, as an art form, certainly doesn’t fool proof my writing or decrease my margin of error. I make mistakes. Sometimes it is grammar related and other times it is sentence structure. Regardless, I can’t help but worry that the “Grammar Police” are out there criticizing my work and wondering how it is that I got published. It seems that no matter how many times I read and re-read my articles, I always find at least one small mistake after it has been published and that is a horrifying feeling. It’s like walking into a crowded party with a giant blemish in the middle of your face. I feel exposed and like a fraud, but I have to remind myself that with each error and every mistake, I am learning. Practice truly does make all of the difference when it comes to writing.

3. Writing is art, and art is subjective. This has been hard for me to accept. I have opinions that not everybody shares. I have topics I am passionate about that not everyone can relate to. More so, I have so many personal stories to share that may not mean anything to some people. These are the real-life concerns of a writer. Never knowing how your story will touch another person, but I have decided that for me if my words can encourage or inspire just one person who reads my work, well then, my writing has served its purpose.

4. Writing with a deadline is a lot of pressure. One article a week doesn’t seem like a lot to someone who writes regularly as a practice, but when you are trying to produce the perfect piece, and you are considering all of the things mentioned above, the pressure is sometimes paralyzing. Writers block is a real thing, and I believe it is triggered by all of the pressures we as writers put on ourselves to write for an audience instead of writing for yourself.

5. Writing is empowering and therapeutic. I have found that this type of writing has been a way for me to share my story. To claim my truth. It’s been a great way to exercise expression and an outlet to put into words whatever it is I have stirring within me. I find it to be a good way for me to leave my mark on the world, no matter how small that mark may be. There is no better feeling than watching something you wrote be shared on multiple platforms or have readers comment on something you said in a positive (or negative) manner. When somebody comments on something you wrote, it means they read your work, and that is a great feeling.

Writing for an audience has proven to be one of the most profound journeys of my life. It has taken me by surprise in so many ways, but the impact writing has had on me is an invaluable group of lessons that I continue to learn. It’s a risk I am glad I have been taking, and while it requires a lot of courage at times, it is something that is worth it in the end.

So, to all of those writers out there who have questioned your worth as a published writer, let me encourage you. Everyone has a story to share. Every writer has room for improvement, but there is only one of you. Only one person with your point of view, your truth and your story and that is one of the biggest gifts you can share with the world. Share your story; I promise you will never regret it.