Why I Stopped Writing for the Odyssey

Why I Stopped Writing for the Odyssey- Having the most shares isn't everything.

I'm not one hundred percent sure when my love affair with writing first started. All I know is that one day I realized that I was in love with it. Throughout high school, I had teachers who did not like the way I wrote. Some said that they didn't like the style and syntax in which I wrote. Others simply said that I wasn't a "great" writer, but I didn't let their comments get the better of me. I didn't care if I wasn't a great writer, and I knew that everyone had their own style of writing. All I wanted to do was write something despite being great at it or not. 

I carried my love for writing to college with me, and when unexpected things happened or life was getting a little rough, I wrote about it. One day, I wrote an article giving advice for boys who were dating a girl who likes to plan. In a way, it was me writing down my thoughts for that day. I was a little upset that some thought it was odd that I had everything planned out, so I put my thoughts into words. It was my own little writing, but I shared it with a few people who suggested that I write for the Odyssey, an online writing outlet for college students. 

Less than a week later, I was an active writer. There are a few things I wished I would have known about the Odyssey before I started to write for them. First of all, each article had to be at least 500 words long, but it was not suggested to go above 800. This messed with my creativity a little bit because I was more focused on writing, not the word count. Second, I had to put out at least one article each week. If a writer missed more than 3 weeks at any given time, they would no longer be a writer for the Odyssey. I normally write because something is on my mind or inspiration just randomly hits me. Even though I love writing, I did not always have something to say to write an article every week. Third, the Odyssey values shares more than they do the actual writing. 

That last reason was what pushed me to quit. When a person becomes a writer for the Odyssey, they are signed up with their college. Who ever has the most shares for their article at their college each week wins $20. It was a competition that I started to get tired of. Toward the end of my time with the Odyssey, I wrote an article entitled "Me, Myself, and I." It was about how I needed to start choosing myself because no one else did. I put the article up on Facebook, and then I not only put it up on twitter, but I also Tweeted it to specific pages. A few hours after it went live, I received a message from a complete stranger. She told me in her message that she had been struggling a lot lately with relationships and that she really needed to read what I wrote. She said that it helped her. 

When I read those words, I realized that shares did not matter. What mattered is that the words that I wrote helped someone. It was one of the best feelings in the world. In that moment, I felt like I had won an award for my writing that no one knew about. Nothing measured up to that message. I could have had the most shares on every single one of my articles, and I still would not have been happier than what I was when I received that message. 

I continued to write for the Odyssey, but my heart wasn't in it anymore. As I started to find more issues with writing for them, I began to look for another place to write which is how I ended up here. Writerscafe is similar to a little online community. I can write whenever and whatever I please, and the support that I received after my test writing was impeccable. I feel as if I can be a little more personal when writing here, and I don't have to worry about how many shares I get because they don't matter.

I am here because I like to write, and I enjoy letting others read what I have wrote. I don't want to be that person who only cares about getting shares. I write to ease my own mind, but now I also write in the hopes that I ease others' minds too. 

 Image Credit: http://youngwritersproject.org/ 

Author's Note

I know it doesn't really fall under the category of being a story, but I wanted to get my thoughts out there.

Reviews

[sraustin]

I had a very similar experience with the Odyssey. I joined thinking it'll help me write on a daily basis and also adhere to a strict schedule. While, I did accomplish some goals, I felt like my writing itself didn't even improve when I wrote for the site. Odd, I know. I quickly realized that the whole thing was a popularity contest. I wrote for a small private school last year and noticed how the same people would always win every week. The reason they won was mainly that they were popular and had many Facebook friends willing to share their content. I left writing for the Odyssey, as did most of my team, since the writing there wasn't quality and it seemed like a cash game. *sigh* Oh well.

[Deana Leigh]

I'm sorry that happened to you as well. I personally did not feel welcomed in the Odyssey community, so I decided to go somewhere else, and that is how I found Writer's Cafe. Everyone is so nice on here, and it is so much nicer writing on here instead.

[Stan Lee]

You're so right. I like the way you think. :) This is a great online community. In fact I like to compare it to Botton, a differently-abled village in England. We have some of everything here. Glad you've joined us. :)

[Jacob Clifford]

You've found your reasons for writing: enjoyment and purpose. It's right that writing shouldn't be a popularity contest, and it's great that you are aware. If you can't express yourself and enjoy yourself doing it, writing doesn't have much meaning, does it?

[AliciaB]

I agree with you on the categories thing - they really should have one called "essay" or "article" or something like that. But, that aside, I really like what you've written here. Writing really IS about expressing oneself and touching other people through doing so - if we can't do that, what's the purpose of it? It is admirable that you found joy in writing for the sake of impacting others rather than getting the most shares. Keep touching lives and spreading your love for what you do!