What business do I have writing advice articles?
That’s what I’ve been asking myself the past few months. Hell, I don’t even know how I landed in this niche.
It all started with writing tips, and the next thing I knew, I’m telling people to keep journals and wake up early as if I were the next Ali Abdaal.
And when I look back, I realise that every post I’ve put out since 2020 has been nothing short of performative.
I look back at posts pre-2020 and reminisce the times when I knew nobody would read my work. Oh, how I enjoyed writing just for the sake of it. No need for clickbaity titles or attractive images. Just me expressing myself without a care in the world.
More and more, I find myself seeking someplace I can write without having to present my work through a series of judgements. And it’s a fact I’m growing increasingly aware of now that I’m back in the publishing industry.
I used to just write and go. Ironically, that’s what got me my first writing gig. Today, I second-guess myself with questions nobody else would care for. Except for me.
Would I be wasting anyone’s time? Is the topic offensive? Will they find out how mediocre I really am for someone who’s supposedly written professionally for over a decade?
So therein lies the problem: I’ve grown too attached to a certain way of blogging and I’m too afraid to lose what I’ve built.
I look at writers I respect like Mark Manson, Allie Brosh, and Tim Urban. I see how they’ve faded off into the blogging sunset (mostly due to a book deal). And I wonder if I’m destined for the same path—without the accompanying success.
But maybe that’s my goal. To someday quit blogging. Or more specifically, to evolve into other mediums or ways of life.
Maybe this means channelling my inner Seth Godin and shipping shorter posts every day. Maybe, like Pete, it means focusing less on the blog and more on writing novels. Maybe I’ll finally get started on building writing masterminds and seminars. I don’t know.
All I know is that I’ll be leaning into change. To not fear switching things up. And most of all, to build something that’s not bound by numbers, opinions, or what I think I ‘should’ do in the name of literary success.
And perhaps this is where I remind you to find a craft where you’re not beholden to anyone else. Not an editor, not your audience, not even your pet goat.
You deserve a place where you can honestly express yourself while discovering who you really are through that process. And if people come along for the ride, then cool.
Maybe this post marks the beginning of an end. Maybe I’m self-sabotaging. But if I don’t start writing for my own sake on the blog, then I don’t know where else I’ll be able to.
Here’s what happens if you click the button below: you give me an e-mail I can reach you at, and I send you exclusive content like this every fortnight. Maybe I send you a freebie, maybe not. That’s all it is.
Stuart Danker 
I’d love to hear your thoughts!