Typeshare has become a popular platform for aspiring writers to share their work, but are we truly making progress, or just spinning our wheels?

Let's analyse why we might be deceiving ourselves.

1. No real followers

   The audience on Typeshare is primarily other aspiring writers. Unlike other social media platforms that mix regular readers with content creators, Typeshare is saturated with alpha personalities. This environment makes it difficult to gain genuine followers who are passive consumers seeking inspiration. Instead, we're preaching to the choir, making it challenging to build a real following or receive unbiased feedback.

2. The Leaderboard becomes a goal in itself

   The Leaderboard has turned into an obsession. Writers strategise to climb to the top, especially in the early hours of Monday when the scores reset. Earning Signals and maintaining high scores overshadow genuine interaction. We often read others' content not to enjoy or engage with it, but to borrow tactics, seek inspiration, or "steal like an artist". This competitive focus shifts our attention from authentic content creation to merely playing the game.

3. Keeping the streak over quality content

   Maintaining a posting streak often takes precedence over producing quality work. The Ship 30 for 30 challenge, meant to encourage consistent writing, can become a box-ticking exercise. In the rush to keep our streaks alive, we might sacrifice depth and originality, ending up shipping subpar content that doesn't truly connect with readers. Are we genuinely honing our writing skills, or just going through the motions to tick off another day?

Time to reflect on our approach

Perhaps it's time to reassess our engagement with Typeshare.

By focusing on authentic connections, valuing quality over quantity, and seeking genuine feedback from a diverse audience, we might find more fulfilment and growth as writers.

Let's not deceive ourselves with numbers and streaks; instead, let's strive to create meaningful content that truly resonates.