Diving versus a Belly Flop — Analogy for Writing ($) during an Economic Crisis.

This is my belly Flop. My First Step. See you behind the paywall.

I just got my first clap today. Thanks, Toffy Char. And onto my article, before I start seeming like a stalker. 😀|

Ugh, deciding how to use the Internet feels the same.

So I spent the day stressing over whether Medium was more profitable than Fiverr to me. Right now. Medium seemed daunting, full of Tims, Jareds and Jessicas that were so much better at writing than I was. And what do I do? Go, “Hi, please read my articles so you could fund my next charkueyteow (fried flat rice noodle with prawn Malaysian dish, you’re missing out!) Don’t forget to leave a like, share and subscribe?” I have no qualms about being a sellout; I mean, I’m Chinese and financially struggling.

So I dug out some stuff:

1. Fiverr, there’s this guy called Chris Kokoski whose work I’m currently trying and
2. Of course, Medium-famous Tim’s work.

Whilst reading Tim’s very directional piece of coaching, he asked me a few key things (through the book, it’s very conversational):

“Why do you want to be a game-changing influencer?”

And MONEY stood out to me in its big, bold green glory. Root of all evil? Cheque ✅.

Until he asked me to write 10 items on that list, it went a little something like this:

1. MONEY
2. Money.
3. Money?
4. Hmm, I think, “Feed my family.”
5. Marry Bun.
6. Make money writing on Medium and have a gazillion readers.
7. Sell an Ebook with monthly consistency.
8. I want to learn how to invest and invest! Crypto? Bingo.

Number 9 was where it got interesting. And finally, real.

9. I want to teach English. Literature, to be exact.

I had been tutoring a couple of students in E. Lit for over a span of 3 years. Coaching them and encouraging them to stay on the path despite having Chinese as their “modus operandi”. I loved bumping them a grade/saving them from inevitable doom, uh I mean, failing.

10. And I want to be a dope-sass Enid Blyton. But one Regina Wong. Fictional books that sell and become classics.

I want kids to pick up my book and read them through dinner and toilet breaks because they love our imaginary, very real world so much. I want them to learn from Garden that you should put your money into an FD or Fitz Deposit in their world instead of a regular piggy bank and to learn from Gwayne that public speaking can be easy even for underdog introverts.

I want my kids to be exposed to these concepts early and decide for themselves, with a little more information than I had, whether to pick each skill and habit up. I remember wishing I had known about fixed deposits as a 9-year-old and later wishing I had been brave enough to start my StashAway when they had that Grab offer. But I understand, too, that 20-year-old mini-me had not enough of the financial trust to do so. It was okay that she was afraid.

It’s funny how when you start to list out why you are chasing money. You find out what you are chasing money for.