I’ve Published My 100th Story
I met my goal with a day to spare
On August 30th, 2021, I pressed “PUBLISH” on my Medium page and submitted my 100th story. I felt accomplished and excited about meeting two goals — 1) publishing 100 stories and 2) publishing 100 stories before September 1st. Reaching both those goals made me realize that I can write pieces and meet deadlines. It took a lot of work, but I’m proud of my efforts.
This accomplishment is even more significant given that I couldn’t write a paragraph six years ago. After being diagnosed with breast cancer, my anxiety and depression blocked my ability to write long pieces. My writing stamina had been stymied by stress and worry. That’s why I turned to poetry. An easy and quick way to express my thoughts.
When my mother was diagnosed with ovarian cancer, my ability to write long was the furthest thing from my mind. I couldn’t sit down and write anything beyond a poem. Taking care of my mother became my main priority. Poetry filled the void as I recovered from chemo and my mother began her treatments. The stories within me turned into poems. But a part of me knew it wasn’t enough.
After my mother passed, I still wasn’t writing essays. I poured my creative energies into poetry. My grief and pain became long, flowing poems. I submitted my work to various magazines and journals, receiving acceptance and increasing my presence in the poetry world. I entered contests and gained a better understanding of how to win a poetry prize. My first major win came in 2020 when I won the Patricia Dobler Poetry Prize.
When I joined Medium in 2018, it was my first real step back into the essay writing world. I had made attempts to write essays since my mother’s passing, but it was a series of stops and starts. I was even accepted into a Memoir Incubator Program at Grub Street, a local writing organization in Boston. I barely made it through the program. My focus wasn’t there.
But the essays I read on Medium increased my interest in writing and potentially, making money from my writing. I read many Medium pieces and was inspired by their helpful tips. The pieces were informative and easy to understand. The tips and strategies encouraged my writing. A path opened for my return to essay writing.
Now, I’ve written my 100th essay and I can’t wait to write my next 100 essays. All of the stories that I’ve kept within me are bursting to come out. I want to develop my craft as an essay writer. I appreciate all of the people that have read my work. The feedback and encouragement have really helped me. This journey will continue to be a learning process as I grow as a writer.
