My Ever-Evolving Writing Style

If you are anything like me, you've probably noticed that the way you write has changed since you began. Unless you're new to writing, then be prepared to watch it happen.

I have witnessed how my writing has evolved since my ninth-grade English class. I now cringe whenever I see a piece of my writing from those days.

But it's changed more since starting on Vocal two years ago and then on the other platforms I now post my content on.

December 2020

This was when I first discovered Vocal.

I was scrolling through my Facebook feed and stumbled onto an ad for Vocal, saying how you can get paid for writing.

So, of course, I was like, "hell yes," and it didn't take me long to create a free account on here.

I quickly began writing fiction but then started posting other types of content, hoping to make some moola. And I believe it was a couple of months later when I got Vocal+.

It was different writing for people online to writing a book. With a book, you can take the time you need to be a perfectionist.

But when you write on a platform like Vocal, you don't want to wait several months to post something because you're afraid you'll miss a tiny detail that probably doesn't matter to anyone besides you.

I'm not saying you have to post something daily, but readers appreciate consistency. So, I had to learn to be satisfied with sharing my writing in a rawer state.

But I've also seen the many changes Vocal has gone through since I first signed up, such as all the new communities that have been created. Or the Vocal app being born.

May 2021

When I found Medium.

I actually don't remember how I discovered Medium, but I'd been on Vocal for a while and wanted to expand the reach of my writing voice.

When I signed up for it, I was impressed with how much more developed it was at the time compared to Vocal, and with certain features I still haven't seen anywhere else, like the ability to import links from other sites and post them on Medium.

It took me until September to become a paying member. And the main reason I did it was to access every story and start earning from mine.

But another difference is that fiction and more creative writing aren't as successful as article-type stories.

I didn't have many followers for some time, and practically no reads on the pieces I published. And honestly, I didn't really give a shit about that.

Until Medium threw everyone a curveball.

They decided to put a 100-follower requirement in order for writers to qualify to receive earnings. That sent many people, including me, into a tailspin.

But I bounced back and began asking for followers and following others in the same position as me. And now I have a little over 400 followers on Medium.

April 2023

My newest writing platform: Substack.

Now the main reason I decided to sign up for this platform is that I kept reading Medium posts from multiple writers saying how great Substack was for them.

So, I figured, "Why not," and got my own Substack.

What's cool about Substack is that you have a more direct relationship with your audience, similar to email since your people get your posts through email, only it's a platform too.

It's also much more customizable than Vocal or Medium, like with post formatting and how your homepage looks.

And you can be a free or paid subscriber to the creators. The difference is you get exclusive content when you pay.

These three options are:

• Monthly: You pay whatever amount they charge each month (mine is $5 per month)
• Annually: Often for a cheaper overall price, you can pay for the entire year (mine is $50 per year)
• Founding: You pay a higher price, but it's one time (mine is $100)

It hasn't been easy, and I only have three subscribers, which is depressing compared to both Vocal and Medium.

And I personally know those three subscribers, so it's not as gratifying.

I'm also not putting a paywall on most of my pieces, as I am trying to gain a sufficient number of subscribers before consistently adding a payment wall to my content.

So How Has My Writing Changed?

As you might guess, each platform has forced me to evaluate how I write and adjust it to be of higher quality for you guys, each platform in a unique way.

Vocal

For starters, I've released my perfectionism in my writing. I now feel comfortable publishing a piece after only a few days, ensuring it meets the word requirements and has been copyedited first, of course.

Another is its 600-word requirement for stories.

I know many Vocal writers hate that, but for me, it forced me to dig deeper into my writing and flush out a piece more thoroughly.

I also know now that I can work off prompts for the challenges and make good stories, even though I have yet to win a challenge.

Medium

Medium has shown me that you have to keep your audience in mind when writing, even if it's a fiction story.

When you only write for yourself and post it online, most people won't read your content. Because most of us want value when reading online content.

So now, whenever I'm drafting a story, I consider whether it's for me or you. And I do my best to balance it.

Because while I like sharing my creative work and personal stories with you, I know many of you don't want to read that all the time. And I have some knowledge to share. So, I do.

Substack

First off, this platform is teaching me how important having email subscribers is.

I've only been on it for a few months, so I'm trying to be patient, but damn, it's hard only to see three people who receive your work, all of them free.

Secondly, I'm appreciating the organization subheadings and dividers bring to a lot of the content I'm re-publishing on Substack. (I wish Vocal would make an option for placing dividers and subheadings.)

It makes everything so much more organized and readable. And I wish more writers would consider that. So use those subheadings and break up your paragraphs more.

Do I Plan to Use Other Platforms?

Knowing myself, I most likely will at some point in the future. But for now, I'm sticking with these three and pouring my energy into making a name for myself.

So, Am I a Better Writer Now than When I Started?

I think I am.

When you share your work online as to just writing for yourself, it forces you to see what does and doesn't work. Whether or not you want to.

I have certainly seen it with my work, in stats, comments, and followers/subscribers.

I'm a better writer because of it. And I hope to continue improving as I keep sharing my work with you lovely people.

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