Will the world end if I don't write?

I started writing and publishing online in October 2023 after a colleague and friend told me about an online writing course that changed his life. Insert eye roll here. There’s no way an online writing course could be so transformative. 

But this is my 26 article and looking back, I’m realizing that it may have changed my life too.

I have been consistently writing and publishing articles online every week for the past 26 weeks. To accomplish that, I inadvertently built and prioritized a writing practice that involves a lot of messy drafts and actively seeking feedback. I changed how I spend my time every week to include check-in calls with writing buddies, capturing article ideas through a self-made note-taking system, and carving out time to write.

I restructured my life to make room for writing. Just like with my friend, my life changed too.

That’s why I’m in a bit of a crisis this week. Last week was a slog, to say the least, bookended by visits to the emergency room, first for my daughter and then for my dad. They’re both doing better but I’m hitting a wall. Every article I tried to write this week ended up angry and bitter, which is not what I want my writing to be.

I sent a panicked email to my writing buddy asking, Will the world end if I don't write? Asking for a friend. She immediately wrote back, The world will not end if you don't publish. Totally, I do not want to pressure you, but I believe in you. She also sprinkled in a few article ideas, including this one answering the question: Will the world end if I don’t write?

AI image generated by Adobe Firefly

So here we are. I know the world won’t end if I don’t write, but the space I created in my life for my writing may shrink a little and I’m not ready for that yet. I am still learning about writing: how to write, what to write about, and why I write, and I get clarity on each of those as I continue to write each week. It’s fulfilling, fun and, as I’m finding out this week, occasionally existential. 

While I’m in this existential headspace, I’d like to ask you to join me by sharing your thoughts about my writing: What resonates with you? What article did you really enjoy and why? What article fell flat and why? How often and why do you read what I write?

I welcome any and all thoughts. Feel free to share them by replying to this email, leaving a Substack comment, or sharing anonymously through this Google form.

Thanks for indulging me!

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Thanks

Emma Dorge

for your speedy email reply steeped in encouragement.