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Why I Deleted My Reentry Essay From The Medium Writers Challenge
I literally spent all day and night editing and polishing my submissions for the Medium Writers Challenge (MWC). The prompts seemed easy until I found that I was revealing too much about my personal life and I wasn’t sure if I wanted to disclose that much to the world.
As a ghostwriter, I have the freedom to publish pieces under various names. I followed the rules and submitted only one essay under the different categories. I submitted the reentry piece within minutes of the deadline and then deleted it. Here’s why:
#1 — It wasn’t my best work
My reentry essay was on my return to writing and dating. While that may seem harmless, I think it was too personal. Most importantly, as the co-founder of the writing group, Writers and Editors of Color (WEOC), I wouldn’t insult my WEOC cofounder or members by submitting something I wasn’t 100% proud of.
While my members know I’m returning to writing after a 25-year hiatus, I didn’t want Medium or the world to judge me on such a weak piece. I spent hours on my other essays and rushed to finish the final submission. If I had more time, I would have just talked about my reentry to writing and omitted the dating part.
