New to Steemit? You've been commenting on people's posts, uploading to the best of your capabilities, socializing, and still not getting any good returns? Don't despair!
A friend told me this... (I don't know if I'm allowed to call him a friend?)
Don't judge your beginning by other people's halfway - Edu Murphy.
I wanna be like this.. šš
These "whales" you see with loads of $$ on their posts started from scratch. They didn't just wake up one day, opened up Steemit, and voila! Dollars!!! They worked for it. They put time, efforts, and energy into it and now they're reaping the fruits of their harvest. And that's how it should be! Whales like 
Rather than wailing like a kid whose candy got snatched, sitting on our lazy asses expecting money to fall from the sky, let's put the work in. Double our efforts. Reach out to other people who can give quality advice. Make valuable comments and not the stupid tweets I seem to be reading these days. You can be a whale!
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I'm writing this article, not just for the newbies, but for me as well; to kick myself in the ass and do something better. We have creativity everywhere, the only thing is to tap into it.
- I don't know what to write about: Start small; search yourself. Every single human being has an interest. Do research. Read books. Find that something that lights a fire in your veins. It might be more than one, the more the merrier. Write on whatever works for you.
- I have discovered what my interests are, but I am experiencing difficulties writing about them: This is easy. You like something. You have an interest in it. You have passion for it, no? And you speak English? (Steemit caters to different languages so what's your excuse?) Just write. I dare you. Just write it, do not be bothered that it isn't good enough, or that nobody is going to like it. Write it anyway, as the time goes on, you'll get better. Read what other people have written about said "interest" and learn from it. I can assure you, it gets easier.
- I tried writing, but the words don't come. Writers block? Relax, it's not like you're writing a book or a memoir! Take some time off... (and your mind off of money) ...for a little while. Let yourself be inspired again. Allow yourself to miss that feeling of writing a really good article. Make notes, watch a really good movie. (I love horror movies, how about you?) Go for walks; kiss someone! š Then go back to writing again, and see how it feels.
- I write good posts, but I don't get as much upvotes as I'd like: Don't let yourself get too used to the idea of getting votes. Try not to write because of the money you might make from an article. Granted, money is very important, and it's a sweet sweet bonus; but don't be too hooked on it that you only do it for the cash. Write because you want people to see that this is what you love. Your feelings will show through your words. Perhaps you are using the wrong tags, and that is why you don't seem to be getting voted? Don't give up. Keep steeming. If any of these whales gave up on the way, they certainly wouldn't be able to say this...
... now would they?
Why do you expect to see change, when you keep repeating the same things over and over again? - Anonymous
- Diversify: There is freedom in diversity. Don't stick to one particular theme, or a particular topic. You can have just one niche and that's okay. But let your style be different. It makes people want to come back for more! Be spontaneous. Don't stay in your comfort zone. Remember, if you expect to see changes, you have to change!
- On a final note... You all probably wondering why I'm not taking my own advice, but this is just a strategy for me. Whaledom is calling on me, and I shall answer! Remember, keep it light, keep it fun, keep it straight forward and simple. Socialize and make friends! Write good comments, follow people that share the same interests as you do. Various articles have been written for newbies, but now a newbie is writing an article for her fellow newbies. I hope this proves useful... See ya'll in the Whale Kingdom! š³š
P.S. To all those quitters that left Steemit after a little while because they weren't getting good returns and were too impatient to work harder, here's a special one for you...
Happy Steeming!