I haven't been writing on here much and I’ve missed it, a lot. A few months ago, I acquired a writing job with a technology company. Also, I’m writing a book, looking after my family, and training a puppy. Needless to say, I’ve been a busy bee.

So first, I’ll list the great things that have happened to me in my first year of writing. I know, it seems boastful but I think sometimes we need to pat ourselves on the back and show gratitude for the good in our lives.

• I wrote 30,000 words of my first book within a month. …

If you think this genre isn’t deep, you’ve been listening to the wrong kind of hip-hop

I am a massive hip-hop fan. I’m not only talking about the stuff on the radio because some of those songs admittingly lack substance: I’m talking about lyrical hip-hop.

Rap was created to be a voice for Black people and has been a perfect outlet for oppression and racism ever since.

It has also been a voice for other people of other nationalities that may not have these deep roots in the genre, but still enjoy performing the music and writing the rhymes.

Atmosphere, God’s Bathroom Floor

From a head full of pressure
Rests the senses that I clutch
Made a date with divinity but she wouldn’t let me fuck
I got touched by a hazy shade of god, help me change
Caught a rush on the floor from the life in my…

This is how you can become the writer you want to be without selling your soul

Lately, I’ve been taking a break from Medium to finish writing my book and try ghostwriting. This has given me some time to think about the habits of other writers on here, particularly new writers.

This is not a hit-and-run on all new writers. If the shoe fits (ie: It pisses you off), I guess it’s about you.

There are many new writers who are very talented and I really enjoy them personally and love reading their writing. …

This is what you should do to market your work, find your tribe, and stand out from the crowd

If you’re on any Facebook groups for Medium, you have probably seen the posts where people share their latest story and ask others to read it. To return the favor, they announce that they will read and clap for the people who comment with a link.

The captions look something like this: “This is my latest article, read and clap, drop your links, and I’ll do the same for you, let’s support each other!”

Some writers may create these posts because they want to complete their daily reading of Medium articles all at once or they like to read content from new writers. …

Why are we so hard on ourselves?

We fight a battle within ourselves every day. If we haven't worked a lot this week, we are lazy. If we worked too much we are a neglectful parent, pet owner, or partner.

We strive to fit this perfect archetype that doesn't even exist. But why?

We hold ourselves accountable for things we cannot control, we refuse to give ourselves a break, and we drive our bodies into the ground for an old-age pension that we won’t get to enjoy because we will be too decrepit from working so much to make use of our newfound free time. …

I was 28, living with my dog Lucky, and single. I didn't have laundry facilities at my apartment building, so I would take my laundry to my parent’s house.

One day, I took my clean clothes out of my car to bring them to my apartment, but unbeknownst to me, a pair of my underwear fell out of the basket and onto the backseat. After this, I drove to pick up my mother and we went shopping.

I stopped at my place to check on Lucky, and my mother informed me that she saw my panties on the backseat and put them in the glove compartment. …

I was inspired to write about this because of what is happening in America right now. Whenever anything goes down in the states, there are memes that appear on social media about finding your “Emotional Support Canadian”.

I am Canadian and let me tell you, I am proud that Canada is looked at as a support country for America. It may not feel like it right now, but you have a great country and we are happy to be your allies.

Many of my good friends that I met through writing groups on Facebook are in America, and I know they are hurting right now. And while I can’t take their pain away, I can be there for them as an “Emotional Support Canadian”. …