I am not quite sure why this bothers me. It really shouldn’t, there are so many more important things in life and yet this is what really gets to me.
The Odyssey is not a blog.
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I am not writing fun about my life and the things I want to do. I am trying (the key word here is trying) to write articles that are relevant in the lives of our generation.
I am trying to find my voice, develop what I want to say and how I want to say it, I want my articles to make you think or rethink your choices and actions.
There is nothing wrong with blogs. I am just not writing one.
I have encountered lots of difficulties when writing for this newspaper, it’s been approximately two months (I am rounding) and I thought it would be nice to write about why I write in hopes you take time to reflect on why you do the things you do.
The main reason I write is for me. When I was a kid I loved writing. I would write stories whenever I was bored and the characters would always mirror me but the version of me I wished I was. She always had long legs and long blonde hair and always enjoyed running, which was an activity I wanted to enjoy… The point is it entertained me. As I got older writing became more academic and I realized I wasn’t all that interested. Essays were boring and structured and I never seemed to excel as much in English as I did in Math so I pretty much dropped the fascination and did it only when I had to.
When college came around, I started to enjoy writing again because I realized I could relate topics we learned in school to topics I actually cared about. And just like that I began to take my time on my essays, I wanted to perfect them. It was like something was re-born inside of me and I realized why I enjoyed writing as a kid.
I write these articles for me. It doesn’t matter to me if anyone reads them.
That’s the main thing I find difficult about online newspapers. The Odyssey is social media based a lot of the activity on the articles are based on the writers social media presence. If you don’t have a lot of friends or followers, you don’t get as much exposure. Which is tough when you write for yourself, you are encouraged to spread the word about what you’re writing but I am not quite sure what I have to say is what people want to hear. What makes me so special?
I guess I’m afraid everyone will find me annoying if I do this gig long enough and then I won’t have any friends left.
I assume that’s a problem all writers have.
