I’ve been writing articles on the internet for just a little over a year now, focusing on my work here at the Yahoo Contributor Network and WWENews.net, along the way there were lessons to be learned. Two of my biggest joys in life are writing and watching pro wrestling, both of which I picked up early in life, watching wrestling from the age of six and fostering my writing addiction in fourth grade as I used Crystal Pepsi as a flawless comparison while writing about my time visiting Cypress Gardens on a field trip. I hope the things that have spurred me forward are enough to help others who may be considering taking the leap.
Igniting Your Imagination
Probably the most important thing I’ve picked up from writing online in the last year is a reawakening of my imagination. While it wasn’t completely shut down it was nowhere near as active as during my childhood. Thanks to the ability to write online it seems that everything has a story and suddenly I want to tell that story, now I can look at a headline anywhere online and immediately see the potential story lying beneath that headline, I’m constantly picturing things and it makes my daily life so much more enjoyable as a result.
Following Your Passion
One of the most positive things in life is to make sure you follow your passion. While this may not be my actual career, yet, it’s allowed me to tap into something I’ve always loved and wanted to do just never really understood how I could pull it off. Early last year I was given an opportunity to write for a wrestling opinion site. Once I started writing there I decided I would love to make money off of my writing and looked into the places I could pull this off, seeing the Yahoo name associated with the YCN, and being a Yahoo Mail member for as long as I could remember, I jumped at the chance and I’ve even sent the sign up page to friends to get them signed up as well.
Building New Friendships
One of the more interesting and positive parts of writing online has been the birth of friendships I honestly never figured would occur, and interactions that once would have seemed impossible. Writing for WWENews.net I’ve made some amazing friends who share my passion for the wrestling business, I’ve also been able to interact with celebrities through Twitter getting Direct Messages from Mick Foley, William Regal, and Bill DeMott, as well as little exchanges with Kyle Turley, Steve Austin and even Triple H. If not for the approval of Richard Gray and Kendra Bunyon I may never have had these interactions and may never have made these long lasting friendships. It’s always good to be friendly with your co-workers, and I’ve been blessed with some of the best.
Learning Who To Avoid
Not every lesson can be a positive one, and as a result I felt inclined to add this one into the mix here. As a writer doors open to certain areas that maybe wouldn’t have been accessible to you before, different groups on Facebook that will accept you because of your new cache, and while some are great such as the YCN group I’ve joined and my WWENews.net group, others are much worse and should be avoided. I had once proudly proclaimed myself as a member of the Internet Wrestling Community because I’m on the internet and write about wrestling, so it made sense, right? Then I joined a group of true IWC persons and quickly learned they weren’t good people for me to be around. It’s like walking down the street and suddenly you cross that invisible threshold and wander to “the wrong side of the tracks,” something isn’t right and you feel the need to get out, quick. You quickly learn to stay away from these people, they’ll only bring you down and when you’re writing that’s not always the best influence.
If you’re debating a jaunt as a writer on the internet, I suggest you go ahead and take the leap, it’ll be well worth your time and you’ll completely love what it does for you as a person. Waking up every morning wondering what stories are out there for you to talk about today is a great feeling and it makes you pay more attention to the news. The more young people pay attention to the news the more we can make a difference in this world, while I’ve always paid attention to things, it’s not the most common thing for those in my age bracket. Hopefully my words are enough to inspire a person or two to follow their dreams, if you’re interested in writing at all, don’t think about it, just do it. I promise, you’ll thank me later.
