Ep 143: If You Want to Be a Writer, Keep Showing Up
Last time we talked about getting that first pancake out of the way so you can make more pancakes. We can be so afraid of that wobbly-edged first pancake that we don\u2019t even start, but when we overcome that fear and pour out that first blob of batter, we\u2019ll start to get the hang of it, flipping more and more until we have a big round stack to serve others.\n\nAnd that\u2019s why we\u2019re writing, isn\u2019t it? To serve whole stacks of our words to others?\n\nThere are other reasons to write, including personal reasons, like keeping a private journal to explore our inner lives. That practice can lead to a healthier psyche, increased gratitude, and improved health.\n\nBut those of us who are writing for publication of some kind\u2014even if only on social media\u2014have some desire to serve an audience. To have readers.\n\nWe want to inform, persuade, encourage, or entertain, right?\nKeep Flipping Pancakes\nSo here\u2019s the deal. You\u2019ve got to keep flipping pancakes. Every Saturday morning, you have to pull out the griddle, stir up the batter, and make more.\n\nAnd you know I\u2019m using this as an analogy, of course, though by all means, make actual pancakes any time you wish. If you make any for me, I\u2019ll take gluten-free, dairy-free with real maple syrup, please.\n\nBut back to our writing.\n\nOnce you write the first poem or the first essay or the first book or the first Instagram post\u2014or the next poem or the next essay or the next book or the next Instagram post\u2014keep going.\n\nPick a sustainable pace and keep writing, keep editing, keep finishing, keep shipping them out however they're shipped.\n\nIf it means you need to click publish in WordPress so your article goes live once a week, do it.\n\nIf it means you make the finishing touches on your essay and send it out via Submittable, send it.\n\nBe consistent.\n\nWhen you\u2019re consistent\u2014when you keep showing up\u2014you reap layers of benefits.\nBe Consistent for Readers\nFirst, you show your audience you\u2019re serious about this. You\u2019re in it for the long haul.\n\nYou'll still evolve\u2014it doesn\u2019t mean you\u2019ll produce exactly the same content for decades. But you are saying, \u201cHey, I\u2019m not a one-hit wonder."\n\nConsistency tells the world, \u201cThis who I am. This is my personality, my tone, my approach, my worldview. And you can turn to me for X.\u201d Then write X, whether that\u2019s political satire or romance novels. It can be driven by topic, like frugal shopping or high-end travel, or it can be driven by platforms, like podcasts and vlogging.\n\nShow up and prove to the world this is what you offer. By writing and shipping consistently, you\u2019re saying, \u201cI'm going to show up with content that persuades you, encourages you, makes you laugh, or solves your problem. You can turn to me for that. You can count on me. I\u2019ll be here. I\u2019ll walk alongside you, reader."\n\nNow, plenty of readers will pop over to your blog or your Facebook page and just take away one little morsel of information and never visit you again. That\u2019s okay. But you will have faithful readers. Those are the people you\u2019re showing up for. Whether it\u2019s two, twenty, two hundred, or two hundred thousand, keep showing up for them.\n\n\nBe Consistent for Yourself\nInterestingly, showing up for others ends up being a gift to yourself. When you write for others, you reinforce not only for them but also for yourself: this is who I am, and this is what I offer and want to keep offering.\n\nWhen you stick with your commitment to show up consistently, you prove to yourself you can do this. You can follow through. You can make pancake after pancake. You get small win after small win, and those add up to become their own big win.\n\nConsistency is how we practice our craft and improve. And you\u2019ll have the confidence to undertake bigger projects because you know you were faithful to follow through with the smaller ones.\n\nKeep a growth mindset. Move toward mastery. Improve and experiment and improve even more. When you\u2019re consistent,