My First Year at Medium: What I’ve Learned As a Writer and a Reader
I originally approached Medium from a writer’s perspective. I’d heard from a range of sources that it was a good platform for getting articles and stories published and that it provided more exposure than an individual blog. This possibility induced me to explore.
At the beginning, I gave my exploration a narrow focus. I managed to keep my eyes on the road enough to see that people wrote about subjects that I did. However, I constantly faced the danger of distraction.
These days I can open my Medium newsfeed without being dazzled by the range of subjects asking for my attention. At first, though, it was like a child’s fantasy Christmas, with dozens of packages stacked around the tree, all of them with my name on them. This was very dangerous for someone who will read the text on a matchbook if nothing else is available.
I justified the reading though, calling the time spent research, especially with the magazines. How could I know which ones suited me best unless I read a lot of articles?
I Learned the Value of Comments
I read many articles and countless comments. Reading the latter shifted my attitude towards Medium. I saw it no longer as a platform for publication and a giant buffet of articles but as a community. Sure, plenty of bickering and trolling took place, but I got excited about the thoughtful commentary and mutual support.
I made a commitment to comment on three to five articles a day, and I’ve kept that commitment almost from my beginning at Medium. I love interacting with other writers, and I’ve made many connections and been invited to contribute to various magazines.
A Writer Must Read
I read in order to deepen my craft. By reading a variety of writers on Medium, I’ve learned how many approaches different writers can take to one subject, for example, perfectionism. By reaching honestly into their own experiences and sharing them, they make their stories unique.
I also push myself to read beyond the limits of my greatest interests. At least twice a week I read an article on a subject I know nothing about. This sparks dormant brain cells into life and sometimes activates a new way of looking at subjects I doknow about.
As a writer, I need that kind of stimulation. It’s too safe and easy to stroll down the familiar neural pathways. I need to live dangerously in the bigger world of ideas.
I get particular value when I don’t initially agree with a writer’s ideas. (Admittedly, sometimes I never do.) I got profoundly irritated by the articles of one author (whom I won’t name), but I kept on writing because I thought I was missing something. Finally, I got what she was saying and began to comment. She responded, and we developed a kind of rapport.
I’ve Shed Some Layers
My willingness to continue to explore writing that irritated — and maybe threatened — me led a broader understanding on my part. In similar ways, my willingness to explore aspects of myself that definitely threaten me have led not only to more honesty in my writing but a greater self-understanding.
I have individually and collectively thanked the commenters whose remarks boosted my courage to engage in deep-awareness diving, but I want to thank all of you again. The phrase “mutual support” that I used earlier in this article doesn’t go nearly far enough. I’ve learned that when someone responds thoughtfully and caringly to an article, it approaches an act of love.
I Wrote More Poetry
My poetic adventures began when I was thinking about a subject that insisted it was a poem. This threatened me deeply. In the distant past, I’d written poetry, but I’d always felt like a phony — and a pretentious one. So I stopped.
I cared deeply about this subject, though, and I wanted to write something. By the time I finished the poem, I understood why I’d avoided poetry for so long. I had enough experience writing by now to know that I couldn’t write without feeling, and that poem took me into uncharted emotional seas.
Poetry continues to do that. When I wrote “Gone the Rainbow: A Father’s Day Remembrance,” (published in P.S. I Love You https://psiloveyou.xyz/gone-the-rainbow-c6aeb7c3ea61), the last line tore its way out of my heart. The editors of the magazine chose this poem as one of their best for 2018.
Medium as a Renewable Energy Source
I’m an early-morning Medium visitor. If I’m feeling any flavor of unhappy, my newsfeed always gives me something to lift my spirits. I realize that I’m not isolated on this big ball of dirt. I begin to notice the flowers.
I remember Thich Nhat Hanh’s famous saying: “No mud, no lotus.” That doesn’t make me love the mud, but I appreciate it more. It gives me deep appreciation for those writers whose honest writing about their sorrows and suffering rescues me from feeling sorry for myself.
Their writing reminds me that this is how I want to write. I have received so much from Medium writers. My pledge is to give.
The following is the article of which I’m most proud. How I Saw God in a Stink Bug
This is my first poem for Medium. The Art of Caring
This is my most recent poem. The Girls Who Said Yes
