I have been writing online for almost a year now, and I think it’s time to reflect on what I’ve done and why I started. Early in 2024, I began my writing journey by creating a mandarin blog on Facebook. I still work with my 9-to-5 job as an engineer, but I wrote whenever I am free time.
Why I Write
Why did I start writing? To be honest, I didn’t have a clear reason at first. The urge to create a blog, share my experiences about life and investing, and write online came suddenly. Perhaps it was sparked by the years of reading I’d done — when ideas accumulate, you feel a need to share them. It might also be the life and investing lessons I’ve learned from past experiences.
And then, there was ChatGPT. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t just copy and paste from it. Instead, it serves as a wonderful assistant, helping me on researching, correcting grammar, and even translating my work. I felt writing could became a long lasting hobby, and even after a year of not earning a single penny from it, I’m still passionate. Well, its more like I’ve been writing purely for fun and to inspire others to pursue what they genuinely enjoy so didn’t really focus on monetising. My focus has primarily been on topics related to life and investing, which I believe resonate deeply with my interests.
Early Writing on Facebook
As a beginner, I started by posting directly on my Facebook page without a dedicated blog site. I shared whatever came to mind. However, after a few months, I began to notice Facebook’s limitations. It has poor navigation made it hard to find older posts and tracking traffic was difficult. Although sharing posts on topic-specific pages made it relatively easy to attract followers, I felt the need for a more robust platform.
Journey on Blogger
That’s when I discovered Google Blogger, a free and easy-to-use blogging platform. I started customising my blog, learning a bit of CSS, and spending time on decoration to make it visually appealing. I shared my blog posts on Facebook to reach a wider audience. Even now, I’m continuously working on improving my blog. Recently, I learned how to add an email subscription form and applied for Google Ads as I started considering monetisation. I’m not sure where my patience comes from, but it took me nearly a year to even think about monetising my work. Whether it will earn me anything remains to be seen.
Discovering Medium
One day, thanks to YouTube’s algorithm, I stumbled upon a video about a Youtuber who transcribed their videos into articles and posted them on Medium. Their content garnered considerable engagement and generated income! For the first time, I realised there was a platform where you could make money simply through engagement — no collaborations, ads, or product sales required. You could focus entirely on the quality of your content and still earn. Intrigued, I decided to give Medium a try. A new blog and I challenge myself to write in English, even though it’s not my native language. I’ve set myself a goal: to spend another year attempting to monetise my online work.
Challenges in Writing
Like many others, I’ve faced challenges such as a lack of ideas and impostor syndrome — the feeling that I’m no expert and my work might be boring or unworthy of readers. But then I came across a fantastic book, Show Your Work!, which encourages everyone, even non-experts, to share their journey. It reminded me to stay humble and keep writing. Everyone has ideas; sometimes, we’re just not sensitive enough to notice them. Even when we do, those ideas can fade if not captured quickly or it look dump to you overtime as the details slip away. That’s why I carry a notebook or use note apps on my phone to jot down thoughts as they come.
An article I read on Medium explained why ideas become dump and how to preserve them beautifully (you can find it here). It’s reassuring to know that even seasoned writers struggle with similar issues.
Looking Ahead
I has a feeling that 2025 will be a fantastic year, one where I earn my first bit of pocket money from writing — a small but significant step toward becoming a full-fledged writer. Feel free to follow my journey and grow with me! I will be writing even more about life and investing, aiming to inspire and connect with readers who share these passions.