Welcome to Daring Diaries
Welcome to Daring Diaries. My name is Gerr!shon (Gerrishon Sirere). I created this publication in 2018 to provide a place for people reading on their iOS and Android devices (phones) to find quick bits of information on a variety of topics to inform, entertain, delight, and encourage; all with a bit of cheer thrown in.
A note before our tour; if you’re a new writer or new to writing English as a second language, we’re happy to extend a hand of welcome and assist you on your journey as much as we can. If you want extra time, write NEW or HELP on a private note on your submission.
Experienced writers, I hope you enjoy writing these tiny posts as much as I have.
Dress Code
Shirts, shoes, and other attire are not required while reading or writing in the comfort and privacy of your home.
Though this publication was built with the small device reader in mind, we enjoy entertaining those, like me, reading on more outmoded devices, such as the laptop or desktop. However, we dress our pieces to fit smaller devices.
Conduct
We accept almost any informative topic as long as it is respectful of others.
Content is generally uplifting.
Occasional rants can be acceptable if they’re light and solution-focused.
Self-promotion is unpleasant for everyone. One subtle link is acceptable.
Be kind and kind and then be kind.
Read and leave helpful comments.
Pieces are put out quickly. If you notice a typo/wrong word, private message the writer and they’ll do the same for you.
Make friends and uplift others.
Short-form
Daring Diaries is a publication for stories of 150 words or fewer written for readers who want a bite-sized read.
You may put your signature at the bottom of your story so you get credit before the thread moves on to the next story. It can be a fun ending to your story which includes your name. Check the feeds of several short-form publications to see this in action.
We accept both standard Medium short-form formatting and traditional formatting.
In standard short-form formatting do not use a title or subtitle. Write your first sentence in sentence case then bold it. Make it a full sentence that brings your reader in and tells them what your post is about.
Traditional long-form formatting is allowed at the Daring Diaries as part of our desire to enhance writers' opportunity for creativity.
If you write a post that is 150 words or less, Medium will automatically classify that as shortform content. Medium Help Center.
Add a photo, art, or computer graphics if you want. Our test posts showed greater views if they included a photo or graphic in the post.
Use only one image unless a second is necessary for your story. Use small images as long ones take too long to load.
You may add one hyperlink to related content in the first sentence or within your story.
You may put one embedded or “pretty link” in your story. To do a “pretty link” copy and paste a link into your post keeping space below and press “enter.” I like these because they show a bit about the story.
An introduction to a longer story you wrote with a link to the story is acceptable as long as the short-form post stands alone.
When relaxing with a cuppa, readers aren’t interested in someone’s self-promotion. They enjoy reading about things others found interesting, so give a shout-out from time to time.
Edit your story using Grammarly or ProWritingAid. The free versions are fine.
The word count will be different from the count in your Medium stories. Check your word count by highlighting the entire text and looking up to the left corner quickly.
Editors may correct formatting, small typos, and such that don’t affect the story’s content. We also use Grammarly and ProWritingAid. The two programs disagree on some things like the oxford comma. We will go with your choice or defer to ProWritingAid for clarity.
In reviewing your work, editors do not edit grammar beyond errors. We want your stories in your voice. This is not an academic publication or an elite publication. If an editor suggests something they think may sound better said a different way, the decision is up to you.
Editors may ask you to change something inappropriate or confusing in the content to make it clearer or to fit Daring Diaries.
We have learned that besides the word count, stories that are spread out in a long list fashion or have long photos do not fit the short-form formatting and read differently on our reader’s devices.
Creative with 150-500 words? Haha, yes, you can do it. It’s a blast.
Photos, as usual from Unsplash or other stock sources, are fine as well as your own images. Credit sources, as usual.
Use the small-size photo as it shows up better on small devices. The off to the side photo position also works well.
Also, if you’re quoting another writer’s work in your article — tag them.
Readers often scroll quickly through short-form stories and they display writers’ names in tiny letters at the top of your story. As mentioned above, you may leave a signature at the end of your story. A hyperlink on your signature to your profile page is allowed as your one personal story link.
Write With Us
We receive a high volume of requests to write with us. This makes me very happy, but until newly added writers are able to submit stories needing little editorial attention, we must hold off on adding new writers.
We’re now keeping a waiting list. We do select writers who hang around at Daring Diaries right away as by engaging we get to know you and your work. Just let me know on a story you’re reading.
To be added to the waiting list.
Your claps let me know you stopped by and from there I can go read your stuff — when I have time for tea and a reading binge.
Send an email to:
daringdiaries@proton.me
I check emails at this address on weekends. Leave your email address, Medium username, and link to a story with the message, “I want to be considered as a writer for Daring Diaries!” I’ll put you on the waiting list. ☺
Thank you for your interest and patience.
