As an incoming first-year student I was looking for a supportive community to facilitate my writing, and hold me accountable for keeping up with it throughout my college experience.
I found it here.
I first found out about The Odyssey Online through the advertisement which showed up on the University of Maine Class of 2021 Facebook page. Social media outreach is one of the best ways the group sources new content creators. After filling out a quick application and a 15-minute informal phone interview with the lead editor I was in. All I had to do was write an article ranging from 300 to 500 words once a week and upload it to Muse. Since I have been writing for the University of Maine Community for The Odyssey Online we have gotten rid of Muse and replaced it with Core.
No matter which writing client we use, the basics stay the same. Write an article or listicle about things that are important to you. Include pictures to add interest. Source your pictures always! Upload by Wednesday at 5:00 p.m. Its really quite simple when you break it down.
Photo by Trent Erwin on Unsplash
Even though everything is pretty straightforward, some weeks are more hectic than others. It is easy to fall behind if you aren't on top of things, but there are easy ways to get yourself back to creating. Scheduling writing time, submitting early, asking for extensions before Tuesday night, and communicating with your president/editor in charge when problems arise will keep both you and your editors happy.
It is at submission times where technology tends to fail me that I have found communicating with my editors and my fellow content creators especially helpful. They may not have all the solutions but they can often point me in the correct direction. Questions don't even have to be limited to the scope of writing or The Odyssey Online, the content creators I interact with on the day to day basis are all former or current University of Maine Students.
There is a whole community of people ready to support me and anyone else who joins our ranks.
I'm glad I joined our Odyssey Community because it pointed me to a supportive community where I can share my interests and create at a whole new level. As we all get to know each other better and start to interact more in person rather than just online I hope the possibilities and opportunities within our community continue to grow.
This is my creative outlet (besides coloring, knitting, music, etc.) and I wouldn't have it any other way.