Writing in the Age of the Algorithm

There’s a tug of war I keep wrestling with. Publishers and social media tell us we need to post, engage, grow—but memoir asks us to slow down, go inward, listen. These two impulses often feel at odds.

Some days (fewer than I wish), I feel like I’m in the writing zone. The words are flowing, they feel right, and I feel secure in the knowledge that one day they will resonate with someone. I’m deep in my story and making actual progress and feeling good about it.

Most days though, I feel a tremendous calling/pressure to pour my time into my work, my community, or grow my platform and join the algorithmic river that never stops moving. The quiet, long work of memoir often doesn’t fit in that stream.

Facebook and Instagram have primarily felt like I’m yelling into the void, so I limit my time there. I’ve found real joy in the connections I’ve made online through Meetup and Substack. But it comes at a cost. There is only so much of me to go around, and my memoir often takes the back seat.

What kind of visibility actually serves the writing, and what kind just drains the well?

If you’ve ever opened social media to “just post something” and found yourself an hour later comparing your life to strangers, you know what I mean.

It’s not that social media is all bad. But for many writers, it’s a chore. Social media can feel fake, forced, meaningless, and in the current climate, downright depressing.

So what are we supposed to do?

1. Choose Platforms That Feel Right For You
There’s a reason I write here. Substack feels slower, more human. A place where people are listening. Pick platforms that let you be yourself without shouting.

2. Accept That Things Go In Phases - Maybe?
There will be times when you’re promoting, sharing, and engaging. And there will be times when you’re gestating, drafting, resting. Maybe we don’t need to be in promotion mode all the time? Can we trust the quiet times and hope our audience will still be there when we return?

3. Reuse What You’ve Already Made
We forget that most people aren’t watching that closely. You can repost the same essay, the same quote, the same reminder. What matters is that it’s true. Let repetition be a form of rhythm, not failure.

4. Remember Why You Started
If you feel yourself drifting into overwhelm, comparison, or anxiety, take a breath and step back. Your work began in something deeper—curiosity, longing, truth. Let that be your compass.

5. Visibility Isn’t the Same as Connection
A viral post might get you seen. A thoughtful one might get you remembered. Be deliberate about the kind of attention you seek.

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If you’re wrestling with all this too—how to show up without burning out, how to build a platform without losing the point—I feel you. There’s no perfect answer.

I'd love to hear how you navigate this tension. Do you have rules for yourself? Rituals that help you balance writing and being online? Things you’ve let go of, or things you’ve embraced?

—Christina