3K Milestone

I swore I was not going to do this. I promised myself I would wait until I reached the 5K milestone before sharing what I had learned with everyone. But yet, here I am, here again, posting about my 3000 reads.

When I first started writing, I thought I would be lucky to have one person read my stories, yet I am here with 3000 people who have read one story. I am excited about that. I never dreamed that so many people would return for more of my writing.

Here are some things that I have learned along the way:

• Always write for the enjoyment of writing first and foremost. Writing is only possible if you enjoy it. Your stories will suffer for it, too, if you don't.
• I have said it before, but I will repeat it: do not stress the numbers. The readers will come. If you write it, they will come.
• Contractions ARE NOT your friend, especially when you are writing an article of 600 plus words or more.
• Adjectives ARE your friend. Use them often. Especially when writing a 600 plus words article
• Music makes the writing go faster. Especially Ozzy…
• Do not be afraid to try to write new things. Just do a little research first.
• Read Judey Kalchik’s articles. They are enlightening. (Link at bottom)
• Writing takes work. It is supposed to be challenging. It takes work and perseverance. Practice makes perfect. These are all the things you DO NOT want to hear. But they are true. The more you write, the better you get. I struggled to write 300 words daily, but now I can write a good 3ooo a day if I want to.
• Join Facebook groups. I suggest four groups for being active and helpful: Vocal + Assist, Vocal Creators Lounge, Vocal Social Society, and the Vocal & Medium Cafe. (Links at the bottom.)
• Read the resource section in Vocal. It has many a hidden gems. This includes but is not limited to several thousand writing prompts in all genres.
• Do not struggle too long to write a story. Put it aside for a while. Come back to it later. If you still struggle to write it, consider it might not be meant to be, and delete it. There is no shame in having to delete a story. Just do not waste much time on something that will not go anywhere.
• If you have dogs, take care of them BEFORE you write, or else they will be begging and bothering you while trying to concentrate. It is just a distraction you do not need. Just take care of them first.
• The same goes for if you have a husband. Feed him before you sit down to write. It is a big distraction to hear him moaning that he is hungry.
• If you have a cat, pat him for luck. Let him sit with you while you write. The purr is inspiring.
• Collaboration is fun and easy to do. Just respect the person and their writing that you choose to team up with.
• Take advice. If another writer is willing to give it, at least consider it. Many Vocal creators are eager to share what they have learned if you listen.
• The secret to readers is networking. You must read and comment on other writers' articles if you expect the same in return. Your friends are trying to grow as writers and want an honest critique of their writing.
• Read. Read anything. Read everything. Read something.
• Answer the comments on your post. These are your friends who continually read. Only say thank you if that is all required. If they leave a question, you leave an answer. If they leave a poem, you leave a compliment. They took the time to comment; you can take the time to comment back.
• Writer’s block can be your friend. Take that time to do other things. Take a shower. Fold the towels. Wash the dog. Walk the dishes.
• Do not be so severe all the time. Being silly is good for you. So, do something goofy with your writing sometimes. You will thank me for it.
• Never say never.

That’s all the advice I can think to give anyone willing to listen to the ramblings of an old woman. I hope it helps someone. Just know that I appreciate each one of you precious readers who take the time out of your day to read my words. It means more to me than you may ever know. Without you, I could not fulfill my dream of entertaining with the written word. So thank you.