7 Writers Who Helped Me in My Writing Journey
You don't get where you are all by yourself.
We might like to think we climbed that writing mountain alone - but let’s not kid ourselves.
We’ve all had a lot of help along the way.
I know I have. Here are seven writers who helped me get where I am today as a writer. Hopefully, you will learn from them, and they will help you too!
Allen Webster.
Allen Webster is a preacher who has written articles that millions of people have probably read. He writes for House to House Heart to Heart, and not only are the articles published online - they are also mailed out to people worldwide.
I remember hearing him teach a lesson about the value of writing. He said that while people may hear a sermon once and forget it within a few minutes, something you write can be read and shared repeatedly.
His influence encouraged me to get started writing. I might not have ever received that initial “push” had I not heard him talk about the value of writing.
Kristina God.
was an early influence on my writing when I first started on Medium. Her cheerful, upbeat personality shined through in her writing, and she’s a master of making you feel like you can do this writing thing. Her marketing background shows up in her writing, and that marketing slant has been helpful to me in learning how to capture the reader’s attention.
I’ve also followed her YouTube channel, where she gave me good ideas for my own content.
Burk.
is another writer I’ve been following since my early days on Medium. Like Kristina God, Burk gave a lot of good advice about writing online, especially helping me learn how to write on Medium. Burk often focuses more on the tech side of writing and promoting various tools for writers - which has helped me become a more productive and efficient writer.
Austin Kleon.
has recently become one of my favorite writers. His books are a must-read for artists and creatives. He likes to refer to himself as “a writer who draws,” and that unique style shows up in his books. Austin’s books have helped me create content that I am passionate about and not just what I thought other people might like.
Tom Kuegler.
is the writer on this list that first got me thinking about writing online. He’s another one I initially found over on Medium, and because most of what he writes is directed toward my age group (the 20s and 30s), what he said stood out to me. Another reason I’ve always liked Tom’s writing is because he wears his “heart on his sleeve.” His transparency taught me a lot as I got started writing.
Zulie Rane.
was another early influence on me as a writer. Her articles were always some of the first I would read on Medium. She gave helpful tips for writing on various platforms and tools to help writers become more productive and efficient. Her success on YouTube also motivated me to experiment with different ideas on YouTube.
Nicolas Cole.
literally wrote the book for anyone wanting to succeed as an online writer. The Art and Business of Online Writing is a book every online writer should read and re-read. I’ve read it, and I reference something I read quite often. Nicolas has several Substacks for online writers, and they will all prove helpful to you!
These seven writers have influenced and helped me in my writing journey.
When I started writing on Medium in July 2021, and now, over two years later - I realize how much help I had along the way, even if these writers didn’t realize how much they were helping me.
And so, this is my thank you to them - to tell you about them so that maybe they can help you just as they helped me.
Thanks very much for this list. As a novice Substack writer I need help ... and inspiration. I’m sure the writers you mention will do that.
Thanks a lot for the mention!