Writing Articles Sounds Fun, Right?

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Dear MDLers,

Hello! I'm Anushka, you might have seen me lurking around the feeds (I am very, very active there) or might have seen some of my articles (though I'm still a newbie here) or you don't know me at all. xD Though no one is really curious or cares, still I want to share my journey. How did I become an MDL Writer? Whoa! 'Writer' still sounds like a big word to me!

(On a side note: I'm just a beginner who still has many things to learn, don't take me as an experienced writer.)

Have you ever thought of writing an article after coming here? After reading dozens of interesting articles every day from the home page but later going to your profile, and there's no option to submit one. Later wondering: can everyone write these articles?... That was ME! Before someone had posted on the feeds that there was a thread where we could share our ideas and that anyone could write, you didn't have to be 'An Experienced Writer' for that. That was my first realization. I'll say my first step towards writing.

If you didn't know about this thread, you can find it here.

So then I knew that I could write if I wanted to, but is that just it? NO. "Everyone can write" doesn't mean 'Everyone' can write: My superstitions before. The thing was: I didn't know what to write? How to write? And even if I would write something, would anyone read it, having zero writing experience and no topic right away to write about? For me, taking the initiative to write something was challenging and difficult!  

But why not? Go for it! 

First Idea:

December 17, 2020:

While watching the second episode of Run On, in the last moments of this episode (the exact time 1:05:41), some golden letters show up on screen (wow, it sounds so dramatic, but we are drama lovers after all) and for me, that was the moment of 'Eureka'. I found my first topic to write about: 'Life Lessons From Dramas'.

I love to collect quotes from dramas. So after seeing this quote, the idea came to my mind: why not make a collection of all the quotes I've gathered, and turn it into an article? There might be others who also love to collect some inspirational and meaningful quotes. I got a good response, so I converted it into a series. As you know, dramaland is never-ending so 'Lessons From Dramas' isn't a short topic to discuss.

So it's just a little thing you need, to bring just an idea, and if it's clicked, you'll find your own way to reach your destination.

'The Moment of Eureka' 

(Haha, I guess this picture is really special for me. It's the third article where I'm using it.)

Finding The Way: 

I know that I can write, I got a topic, too! So what's next? What and how? 

The next step was actually writing. As a person who never wrote anything other than school essays, it wasn't an easy task to figure out the whole writing thing. I was a newbie on the site, too, didn't know many people here, kinda uncomfortable, and shy to ask veteran writers for some writing tips.

Write or not? That is the question.

So I made my own method to write. Dividing, making groups, and then trying to explain each thing separately. The first thing I do before writing on any subject is to make groups: the main topic and its sub-topics. Making a tree diagram or flow chart helps in everything I write.

Setting a goal and time limit. Indeed, we don't have any deadline for writing here. But having your own deadline matters a lot, though it doesn't mean you have to push yourself too hard. Giving just half an hour for several weeks is more than enough, but do not take too long, or else you'll start to lose interest. "Strike while the iron is hot", so the best time to start working on it is the time when you get the idea. It's the best time as your brain starts working on that idea in the initial stage.

Hurdles I Face: 

• Choosing the topic 

As it's the first step, it can be the first hurdle, too! I get many ideas, sometimes weird and crazy ones. We can have many ideas and topics in mind, but when we start to work on it, we might have nothing to develop regarding that matter. So, choosing the right topic on which we can actually write something is important. I always try to do articles related to the dramas I adore, so I'll have many things to talk about.

•  Controversial subjects

The first thing I'll say is 'Get ready for criticism.' - With sensitive topics and controversial subjects, there are many chances to get some negative responses. To be honest, I've never done anything on any controversial subject, except for the article related to Dropping Dramas, we got to know different perspectives on that subject, though. I try to avoid any sensitive topics, but I guess the best way is honesty and politeness while handling them.

• Time

Well, this is the most important: "time". As a student, I've got my school then lots of studies plus I have to keep my drama schedule, too! So time is indeed a crucial thing for me. But the thing is, it actually doesn't take too much time. The first fear when I decided to write articles was if I would get time to write? But giving only one hour per day is more than enough, having no deadlines can be very helpful too.

• English ≠ first language 

English isn't my first language, nor the second. It's one of the biggest problems for me from grammatical mistakes to correct word choices: these are things in which I struggle. Plus, having a very small vocabulary is one of my weaknesses. Sometimes it became the biggest hurdle to express what I really wanted to, just because I couldn't find the right words. Google can be very useful at these times to find any synonym, though I have to admit it's time-consuming. Using fancy words was never my thing, I much rather use the simplest and easiest to understand. Though I really appreciate beautiful writings!

• Finding pictures and gifs

Here's a thing that isn't actually important. Still, it is important. Most of the time, I take less time to write than finding the perfect pictures and gifs for the articles (this article isn't an exception).

Presentation matters to me as much as the writing skills because it helps to enhance them, giving a slight touch of artistic nature (please don't bring here, 'Using fancy words was never my thing'). Finding pictures = Time consuming (my definition). It's also the thing that brings real beauty to the writing! So I'll say it's worth taking the time if it's gonna make the article more beautiful. 

While I was writing my first article (quite new with all processes, and with literally no idea of what I was doing), I accidentally closed the tab without saving the draft and lost an almost complete article... So, I learned a lesson. From that day on, I started to save the draft multiple times and have proper notes of everything so I can redo it. Also, using other applications to save the articles can be useful, too.

•  The title, summary, and cover image

The most confusing things to decide and also the most important to attract readers. Well, short and sweet is always the best thing, unless the subject really needs a more detailed explanation. The cover image plays an important role. It's one of the things where I struggle and the last thing I do. Telling my experience here, I was done with the article and didn't submit it for more than 1 month just because I had no idea what should be the cover image (having an obsession with perfection isn't a good thing always :').

• Writing slump

The phase I'm actually going through right now: "Writing Slump". Having many things to finish but having no idea what to write and how I'm gonna complete everything. My way to get out of the "writing slump" is to read and read a lot. It helps to get more ideas and refreshes and clears the mind. Sometimes, I do the opposite thing. Also, if I'm in a writing slump, I start to work on a different topic, and I rarely come back to the things I was working on before. This helps me to think about a different topic and later give a fresh start to write again on the previous works.

• What's next

After submitting my very first article, "what's next" was the thing that first came to my mind, and it's been haunting me since then. But I won't say that it's my hurdle yet because I never had to think much to decide what's the next thing I'm gonna work on... But having too many things can also be a problem, haha. ;D

It's not a hurdle, but the thing I lack: "Sense of Humor", which I want to improve. I love to read articles filled with lots of humor, so in the future, I want to try it out... 

When  Writing Becomes 'Addiction'

"Addiction" sounds like a big word, right? But in my case, it's perfect. Writing literally became my obsession. Should I consider it healthy or unhealthy, it's hard to decide. In less than 4 months, I did 10 articles and worked on 3 - 4 articles at the same time, while having dozens of ideas for "what's next". It's most suitable to call it an addiction. Though it affected my drama time, I'm not complaining. ;D (Sorry for bombarding you with my articles. :')) Well, I haven't found a way to get rid of this addiction, it might be when I'm out of ideas... But I'm enjoying it so far, so let it be.

Is It Worth It?

If you ask me if it's worth it? YES, for me, it is. Gaining new experiences, doing something different is always a great thing to do. That's what writing is to me: "A whole experience", which has become my hobby now.

Never thought before coming to MDL that I would become a writer someday. Reading has been my passion and obsession since always. But writing wasn't my thing, except for the part I took in essay competitions, but it was for school or because of peer pressure, "You read a lot, why don't you write". Actually, I was never happy and satisfied with my writing before. Well, I'll say MDL changed me and encouraged me to write something... To write something about how much I love "Dramas".

I won't say I'm satisfied with my writing because it has many flaws. I have many things to learn, to gain more experience. Writing something I can definitely say I'm satisfied with is my goal, but for now, just being happy is more than enough for me. ;D 

I love to interact in the comment section: to see a different perspective on the same topic and making new friends who share the same thoughts. In addition, the joy you get when someone appreciates your hard work is the best thing!

So I'll say I get satisfaction and happiness from sharing something I feel, my thoughts, my experiences through writing. Also, I can talk a lot about the dramas I love and adore. The different perspectives, opinions, the way I see the drama, everything I can share here. And I don't need to be superficial for that... Just by being myself, I can do that. That's what I love about writing articles. So yes, it's worth writing and expressing what I truly feel.

So that was my journey of writing articles! Thanks for reading, have a beautiful day. :)

Though this article reached its destination... My writing journey didn't, I still have a long way to go...

This was my journey. What's yours?

What problems do you face while writing?

 How you overcome a writing slump?

Any writing tips?

If you haven't, do you wanna try writing articles?

Anything more you want to share?

^{Edited by: Cookie (1st editor)}