17 August 2021, Somewhere in the Metaverse - UplandDood (@Just1Dood)

It's the 9 August and almost 4 PM on a Monday afternoon. I was finally able to get caught up in reading articles from my favorite writers and writers I have a connection with. It goes without saying that, reading doesn't complete the interaction expected at read.cash. Commenting is the final nod of approval and the expected connection with the writer. Granted, that may not always be possible due to time constraints but most of us will at least do an upvote if in a hurry.

If given the same amount of time constraints; I find that reading articles take more out of me than writing one. When I read, I tend to forget to look away from the screen to relax my eyes. But when I write, I do that. Especially, when I'm thinking about what to write or how to frame my next thoughts. Refocusing my eyes away from my computer screen at scenery or view far away helps relax my eyes.

Previews

This is why I would normally preview my written article from my article bank before posting them. Immediately next on the agenda after that would be to write my article. If I do it this way, I'd ensure that my eyes would not be tired by the time I get to writing.

Writing a free flow article (without any time spent on research) can take up to 3 hours for me. Of course, the time demanded depends on how freely my thoughts flowed. Sometimes it's faster; other times, not.

Now, imagine this. If I'd attempted to write and post on the same day, it may take up to 4 hours or more before it is ready for publishing. Completing an article does not mean that it is ready for posting. I'll need to re-read, check for typos and grammatical errors as much as I am able to. Even after that, it is still possible to miss out on errors.

Generally, I'll take a minimum of another 30 minutes to run through an article before posting. However, this can take up to 1.5 hours, with edits, additions, and rewrites.

Having an article bank allows me to start with a fresh mind the next day to do the post-publishing review and edits. The added advantage with a fresh mind is that I oftentimes see new angles to my articles with better points or stupider nonsense.

Interludes

Between the writing and posting time, many things can happen. There may be a more suitable article in my article bank to use rather than what was queued to be published.

A recent example of mine was "An Odd Ode: To my Sponsors - Current & To-be". This wasn't slotted to be published on 9 August 2021. It was only written the day before but due to the sudden increase in sponsorships two days prior, I'd decided to make this the next article for posting. In my mind, it was timely.

Note: Though the above article was completed a day earlier, prior to posting on 9 August 2021, I'd taken another 1.5 hours to review with edits and some changes before posting. I am glad I had that time to do this and this had produced a better article. That, my friend, is a sign of respect for my readers.

Vault

I'd just had a look at my article bank. Not counting this one that I'm currently writing, I have a total of 7 completed articles in my bank ready to be published. These will take me another 30 minutes to 1.5 hours to go through on posting day. On top of that, I have a few more with just a title. These may or may not see the light of day. Not all of these titles I'll have the inspiration to write.

Having an arsenal of articles in my bank leaves me some room to maneuver about. I don't feel as much pressure on days where my schedules are too tight to write. It is also a reason why I don't post any articles on Sundays. I don't feel the need to write on that day. I have a choice and when I feel that my body needs the rest, I don't write. Don't get burned out for doing something you enjoy doing. What's the point, right?

Deposited

Alright, it's a little past 4.30 PM. The first draft of this article is done. It has taken less time than usual because all the needed ingredients are in my brain. I just need to put them together and rearrange them as necessary.

I will likely spend another hour on it before posting since I feel that there needs to be further polishing. But for now, it's been deposited into my article bank. I'm now 9 articles rich. LOL.

One more thing before I end. Just because we can write does not mean that we will automatically get readers to read. You can read my thoughts on how to get eyeballs on your article from yesterday's post - For New Writers: How to make sure your articles get read.

Thank you for reading and I hope that this can be helpful in your writing journey too.

Sources:

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