The Insider Essay that Jumpstarted my Writing Career

Despite the fact that I began writing when I was in elementary school, and I always wanted to become an author when I grew up, I never put much thought into getting my work published.

This changed in September 2023. One day, as I was scrolling through Twitter, I ran into a thread by woman who was discussing the prevalence of gaslighting and misdiagnosis she and other woman had encountered during doctor visits. I left my own comment about my experience, and we had an informational exchange.

This conversation was noticed by an editor for Insider.com, and she contacted me via DM. Normally, I don’t read or respond to messages on social media, but this is one time I was glad I did.

The editor asked me if I wanted to write a short essay about my experience. That essay was published and many of my friends contacted me with surprise because my picture was plastered across the MSN home screen for that day.

Having that essay published gave me the confidence to begin submitting my work for publication to other places, and in the past six months, nine poems and two essays of mine have been accepted for publication.

To read the essay that started it all, click on the link below:

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My Shortness of Breath Was Due to Congestive Heart Failure, and I Needed a Transplant (businessinsider.com)