u/AlphaWolf132

I see independent professionals—I denounce the term "freelancer"—make this grave mistake again and again. They believe they are "not good enough" to work with international clients.

If you ask, "Why do you think that?" they say, "I am an Indian," or, "I am a Pakistani," or "I am..." some other sub-continental flavor. I held this misconception for the longest time, too. I thought the international market would judge me for my skin color. But that's all it was—a misconception.

Over the past five years, I've ghostwritten for clients from the USA, Canada, UK, Romania, Japan, and all over. I've ghostwritten for CEOs, Startup Founders, Life Coaches, Small-Time Business Owners, Podcasters, Oncologists, a PhD Professor, Agency Owners, and Digital Nomads. Their only concern was the value I offered.

I truly believe we are in the Second Age of Exploration. The trade routes are open. No one cares about your skin or the way you speak; they only care about what you bring to the table. So I say pillage, plunder, and loot as you please. The world is your oyster.

I am always mesmerized by the process of Writing — how each letter is conjured by the mind through an unknown design, strung together into an assembly of words, to be materialized on a page by the gliding will of our pens.

Yet, when you willingly sit down to write, channeling your focus with intent, an Abyss stares back and no words come out. In that moment, you blame yourself as a writer and your crippling inability to exercise your craft.

Most writers throw in the towel at this point. I was at the breaking point, too — resenting Writing and wishing for an escape.

I tried two things that helped me break free of this mental rut.

1. Embrace Your Fear

Fear is a dominating force. When you sit to write, and your hand goes limp, it is a classic fight-or-flight response. You freeze because you are afraid to make yourself vulnerable, silently inviting judgement and criticism.

The devil on the left whispers, “No one likes you. No one asked for your opinion. And no one needs to read this crap!"

Silence that unfeeling wretch. Embrace your fear and un-clutch your mind from its cold grip.

2. Create the Perfect Atmosphere

I belong to a generation that was trained to write by hand. We stood at the crossover from handwritten to digital, growing up with computers and phones but not being dominated by them.

At the start of 2026, I decided to return to my roots and started experimenting with journaling in a gray A5 hardcover. “Write everything,” I told myself.

I was able to renew my love for Writing and rediscover the pleasure and satisfaction that felt so long lost.

Writing is unique and beautiful and messy and mysterious. Learn more about who you are and what allows you to channel your words efficiently.

Do not forget to enjoy the process.

I am going to say something that's been said a million times before. 

You can't be successful today without having an online presence, not in "I am the mega-successful, million-dollar-earning expert you need to listen to" sense anyways. 

Most entrepreneurs strike out as thought leaders on LinkedIn and X after making tremendous headway in their industries. 

So, here's my question to entrepreneurs here. 

If you guys have seen that level of success (or even close), what has prevented you from writing online and becoming thought leaders in your industry? 

And if you could demolish that roadblock and had the opportunity to share your knowledge with the world, building a robust digital audience in the process, would you take it? 

Cheers!

PS: I am also aware many startup founders are primarily analogue and still find the same level of achievement. If you're in that camp, have you ever thought about carving a corner of the internet for yourself?

It is difficult to find true authenticity in your voice as a writer. Writing is one of the — if not the — oldest professions in the world. My struggle is the same as yours.

I often wonder, how do I materialize my thoughts in their crudest form?

How do I express myself with an almost sacred, virgin purity?

You know, I tried that hackneyed advice everyone was shooting on Medium back in 2023: “JUST KEEP WRITING!!!”

It works for people with low self-esteem, who don’t have a habit of writing, who are just starting to grip the fringes of their artistic ability. It works — until it doesn’t.

How a New Writer Evolves

As a new writer, you will go through many stages. The old adage is true; everyone’s journey is different.

Childish as it sounds, I fell in love with writing when I impetuously ran down to Green Collection, the nearest stationary shop, and bought a 5-subject Classmate Notebook in 7th grade after rummaging through my Diary of a Wimpy Kid collection (I think I owned all the titles till Cabin Fever at that point). I set aside a sacred hour late in the evening once business for the day (playground escapades) was done. I’d record what happened in school, whine about my friends, and, from what I recall, note down some of my aspirations for life. This small phase began an on-and-off love affair with writing that, 10 years later, culminated into a professional freelance writing career.

Note: I don’t enjoy using that word —“freelance writer." I advise other writers to position themselves as "professional [your flavor of] writer” (in my case ghostwriter since I specialize in non-fiction books for clients). But it gets the point across, so.

Anyways, at some point, I started to lose my love for it. If you’ve been at it for a while like me, you, too, will inevitably come to a standstill. You’ll feel stale and obscure, flat and burned out in your delivery — charred to death in the head. You’ll question every sentence you write, word you etch, banging your head on the wall and wondering why you bothered in the first place.

That’s where I was a few months ago.

How to Break Free of the Curse

Between projects, homely responsibilities, and growing distaste, I was stuck in an endless cycle of wanting to write (more particularly, wanting to feel the excitement to write again), juggling underwhelming clients who hacked my mind into limbo. I was seriously questioning if I made the right choice going down the writer’s path.

Does that crossroad sound familiar?

I didn’t know if I’d ever escape my limbo until I revived my old love. I went back to journaling — (I know it sounds cliche, just bear with me ) — a habit I left behind in my childhood.

The rigid constraints of client work garroted my thoughts in a way that went unnoticed until it was too late. The cancer had spread, so to speak. I didn’t realize I needed a space where the chaos of my mind could breathe. My sweet wife helped me set up a small writing space in the corner of our living room, separate from where I do official client work, where ideas could abound without restraint. I was extremely picky about the journal I chose and how I organized everything. Every thing needed to be perfect!

The Result

The experience has been magical. Jotting down the churn of my consciousness’s remnants makes me feel liberated. New ideas and fresh perspectives are flowing in my mind again that I thought were lost forever. I had started to resent writing. This one change — creating a separate space for my personal writing and restarting freeform journaling — allowed me to unfurl the disdain and rediscover my love for the craft. It reawakened me to my why.

But of course, what worked for me will not necessarily work for you. The medicine to my ailment is probably different to the medicine for yours. Our symptoms are similar but the causes for the sickness might be vastly distinct.

All I intend to do with this post is nudge you, dear reader, in the right direction.

Go and experiment. Don’t give up on this beautiful craft just yet. Try to remember why you started in the first place. You might rediscover your love for writing, too.