Writing for Odyssey has been a blessing and a curse, mostly because I write stuff this platform doesn't deem important. But that's not the point, the issue I have at hand this week is that I'm running out of content. I honestly try to be consistent with what I write, and so far its just been a mix of my complaints with sports, school, and pop culture. This, of-course, is the basis of how I approach many things I do, "How can I develop the ability to express myself and impact the world at the same time?" Well I'll tell ya how, hypothetical me. I'm gonna try to explain the process of writing an article in an effort to post something that is somewhat acceptable to my peers and editors!!
The first thing is to find inspiration, what exactly are you passionate about? Personally, I love sports and not just all the stats, but the politics and immoral foundations some sports have utilized to build empires that I always sweep under the rug. I also love entertainment, mostly because I like making people smile or at least convince people that I'm funny. I obviously can't do that all the time, so I try to make my articles somewhat satirical and reflective of my personality. And if you hate my articles, I honestly don't blame you because the topics are extremely sporadic and I write with the intent to get a response from people instead looking for actual insight.
After you find that inspiration, reignite that connection that drawn you to the topic in the first place by pondering on various things that might've happen in your life. This helps you gain new perspectives that will elevate the article's chances of making the front page, or even get one single like on Twitter. Also, when you write, make sure you include something that the reader can relate to, and not just a list of suggestions that can later be found on Pinterest. Put in some visual context that will make the reader feel like they're talking to you person. Just don't harass them with terrible photos of your face that you hesitantly posted on the internet...
Once you get into that zone, you might start to feel the need to verbalize your thoughts with long and overzealous statements that don't have anything to do with the topic. Though tempting, that isn't the way to get your point across. If you need an outside source to enforce your views, go ahead and put a link within the text. For example, if you're writing about social media don't be scared to do some PR and link your Twitter or Odyssey page. There's absolutely no shame in showing and exploiting who you are, unless you're Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, because that man needs a vacation. As soon as you finish the article and proofread it only one time because it's 2 a.m, add all the tags and social media accounts to get your work out there to the people!!
Usually, I try to produce content that I feel emotionally attached to. But recently I've been writing to meet deadlines instead of actually searching for inspiration. This small slump caused me to dive into the worst-case scenarios. "Should I change my major?" "Why am I still writing for this platform?" "Why did they change to IHOb?"
Sometimes you need to sit down with your thought and recollect.
Take in the ideas that swirl around in your head and turn them into a masterpiece. Hopefully I can come back stronger than ever with my next article "Monthly Shoutouts," a monthly series that proves that what I write doesn't catch on or gains any traction. I like writing for Odyssey and once I get through this writer's block, hopefully the best is yet to come. And by the best, I mean my same ole poorly executed humor and lack of support for the reader to understand the context of what I'm writing.
