By Leah Stanger
Instagram: writingwithleah

I’ve always loved to write and back in the mid 2010s the idea began to evolve. Remember that  old phrase? We need to stick to one thing. I rejected that. It was the try everything season, and I  still stand by it. Why can’t we try all the hobbies and explore our creativity? Who says we have to 
be good at our hobbies? 

Writing was favourite and, in the beginning, it manifested in many ways – from bullet journalling to plotting a sci-fi novel. These days I write multi-genre flash fiction, short stories and novellas. I’m an ambassador for Writing Sundays at Southport Library, and I write articles at
medium.com/@writingwithleah. 

Obviously, that’s not all – refer to my try all the hobbies policy. There’s also roller skating, virtual races, live music, art galleries, travel, volunteering, blackout poetry, note taking and all things  nostalgia, and at any moment I could start a new hobby.

So what are my top five ways to share your writing?

1. Journalling

For me, it all began with the bullet journal. A note taking system/planner that I made myself.  Unlike a regular planner that comes with everything laid out for you, the bullet journal comes  together one month at a time to suit your needs. It could be as minimalist or maximalist as I wished. Unsurprisingly I went down the maximalist path. I used cut outs from greeting cards to decorate my monthly spreads and for me it leaned more towards personal than organisational 
with lots of room for reflection and diary entries. I shared it on a forum with other bullet journallers from all around the world.

Prior to that I had kept a journal in my late teens detailing all the concerts and other events that I went to. My husband called it the diary of denial. He was joking of course but his interpretation of a diary was a place filled with turmoil and harsh reality. Neither of us kept one of those.

I’ve always loved to write about the best times, but I do love Christine Betts’ version (novelist and presenter of the Art Write Now Workshops at HOTA). She talks of writing pages and pages that she never wants anyone to read and setting the entire thing on fire. Imagine the freedom and the wild things I might say if afterwards I simply sent it all up in flames. How fabulous!

2. Critique Groups

Feedback plays a substantial role in my writing, and I love to bring my fiction to the GCWA Critique Groups. The first night I went along I was dealing with a mild case of absolute terror, clutching my Dystopian Romance until the paper scrunched at the thought of my grammar, tone and character arc facing the scrutiny of fellow writers. 

It was a much more positive environment than I anticipated, and now I have two folders filled with feedback on a multitude of projects in an array of different genres. I’ve used that feedback to work on the next draft and often then submitted my work to short story competitions. My fellow critique participants have delivered insightful notes and perspectives. I’ve also learnt to critique others work through this process, consider the thousand words in front of me and other constructive feedback in a supportive tone.

3. Competitions

Entering short story fiction competitions has been a game changer. I find it pushes my ideas out of the same places and into somewhere new. The combination of an inspiring prompt and a deadline helps to bring a new story idea to life. Adhere to the guidelines and formatting carefully. As a preference I love a competition that others feedback. I keep track of my stories in an Excel spreadsheet with word counts and other elements to use as reference, ;/as they might apply to 
future open theme short story competitions.

Some of my favourite competitions include Furious Fiction, Writer’s Playground and NYC Midnight. There are so many more out there, ranging in word count and genre and prompts.

4. Write Articles online

There are audiences all over the internet looking for articles to read. Medium.com and other platforms including LinkedIn Articles, X, Vocal Media, HubPages and Substack offer writers the  chance to present non-fiction. Write from experience on a personal level or offer your 
professional expertise. 

I started writing on medium.com about my experiences in life, art, music and travel, and over time it’s become one of my favourite places to share my journey. My Medium page also acts as a portfolio for my non-fiction work.

With genre-specific publications, I apply where my story fits best. I love Medium’s publication system, the publication guidelines often say something along the lines of ‘If someone else could have written it, don’t submit it to us.’ 

Some examples of articles I’ve written in the past year include:

     • The Last Page: Writing the Final Chapter in the New York Public Library – published in 
Short Sweet Valuable, a publication for personal articles with a short word count
     • Chasing Memories in Murwillumbah – published in Ride the Wave, a publication for 
personal articles that make you smile
     • Why We Returned to Bluesfest after Eleven Years – published in The Riff, Medium’s 
premier music publication

5. Social Media

Unpopular opinion, I actually enjoy Instagram. Not scrolling AI slop all day, rather connecting with the writing and reading community, the people who celebrate the words. It’s become a creative little place for me. There are many other platforms out there that offer this in different formats. Choose your own adventure.

It could be a place to find your audience, share your art, go behind the scenes or start a conversation. If you follow me on Instagram, you know that on most Sundays, I’ll be at the Library for Writing Sundays, and my customary reel usually shows me simply walking in the door. Those people in my niche, are in my corner and they’re cheering me on to get those words on the page. When they share their writing endeavours, I’m cheering them on too. 

When drafting my novella, I posted talking head updates in my stories for people to follow along. It was another kind of storytelling, the kind that brings your audience with you on the writing journey. 

None of this would make any sense to someone who’s not interested in writing and stories, and that’s okay. I’m not trying to befriend the entire internet. I support writers and they support me right back, and when I go to writing events, I get to meet them in person.

‘Rawness isn’t just aesthetic preference anymore – it’s proof.’

Adam Mosseri – CEO of Instagram

It’s your story. Tell it however you want to, and then send it out into the world.