Transcript:
So, I don't really know how to do podcasts and I'm not sure what to say in these audio files that I'm assuming I'm gonna call a podcast in my new Substack account. Honestly, I don't even know what to do with my Substack account because, you know, it's just there. I planned, when I made it, not that long ago, I planned to share life stuff, writing-related things, writing plus life-related things, writing-life-related things, if that makes sense.
But here we are. I'm just not very sure how to, um, grow this platform, or I'm not even sure if I even want to grow this platform, because I already have so much on my plate right now. For those of you who don’t know me, well, I don't have any audience on Substack, so I'm assuming nobody knows me. Um, I have a blog called The Side Blogger, and it's about content marketing, online business, etc.
Um, that's what I do primarily. And... Well, that's it, and that's, that's a fair amount of work. Not all of it. I'm also on and off grad school, um, on and off because that's exactly what it is. Don't want to talk too much about it. But, um, yeah, so there's that, there's the studying part, there's the blog part, and there's also my recent venture into creative writing, so short stories, essays, etc.
I mean, I've been trying to write this stuff for a few years now but it just hasn't really gone anywhere. But last year I published my first essay in a literary magazine. So that kind of lit a fire in my, you know, backside so…. Why did I say backside? Why can't I say fire under my ass or something? I don't know why I said backside.
Um, yeah, so, I've been having fun, well, not exactly, but, I've been wanting to write more and more creative things, like essays and short stories, but, um, it's fun, sure, but it's also not fun because it can be very frustrating, and writing is difficult, creative writing especially is extremely difficult for me.
I mean, content writing is easy because that kind of reminds me of when in college I used to write lab reports and research reports. Like if you know what you know, then it's easy to just write it. But creative writing is more than that, right? First of all. It's more than a process. So knowing what you think you know, isn't always knowing.
Because sometimes what happens is that I start writing and I realize that I don't know anything. So there's the thinking part, the part where you have to figure things out. That's hard, but it doesn't really end there. There's also the factor of making your writing good, like making it literary. You know, because that's what creative writing is, right?
So, that part is also hard because if you haven't figured it out yet, English is not my first language, so I'm not a native speaker. So, um, it's difficult for me to write in a way that sounds native... And I'm not sure if I should even try to sound native-like, because maybe that's not a weakness, maybe that's a strength.
That's something I've been thinking about lately, but I haven't really figured it out. But, um, I'm hoping that one of these days I will figure it out. We'll see. But, yeah, I mean, that's where I am at, kind of. Anyway, uh, this is the first episode. I don't know how many more episodes I will make. Maybe this is gonna be the one and only.
We'll see, but... That's it for now, and to be honest, I don't think I made any point. Yeah, if this were an essay, this would be a terrible essay because I haven't made any point. Why did I start recording this? Okay, let's, let's make a point now before I go. Um, so this is a podcast about writing and writing life, and I just want to see where it goes because, um, I'm new to this, I'm learning a new skill.
And I'm also doing this because it kind of helps me think things through. Um, I keep telling myself that I shouldn't write about writing because what do I know about writing? I'm so brand new myself. But, so here's what's going to happen, I think, if I continue my Substack.
Podcast or not.
If I continue this, continue to put stuff out on this platform, then this is gonna be… not necessarily how to do stuff, but more like how I'm doing stuff, what I'm learning, what I am doing. And maybe that's a more honest way to go about it because what do I know? how to teach someone how to write.
I only know what I'm learning myself, and that's what I'm going to write about. So that, you know, it becomes a guide for myself. And if it eventually becomes a guide for someone else, that's great. And if not, whatever. No harm done, right? Okay, maybe I made some point, I don't know. This is the end of it.
This is 1:50 AM and I'm recording a freaking podcast because I am… uh, I wanted to say I'm bored, but actually, I'm not bored, I'm just procrastinating. Procrastinating sleeping, that's something I do sometimes. Anyway, hopefully, I'll see you, whoever you are, um, sometime again in this Substack, podcast, whatever, bye.
