2023 Unwrapped: Some of Engage’s Most Popular Stories
I can’t believe it’s been a whole year since we embarked on this wild ride together.
Engage hit its first trip around the sun on October 25, and let me say it out loud:
2023 has been a rollercoaster!
But we’re still here, doing our best to serve our community and please our audience with stories that have heart and soul.
None of this would’ve been possible without you, the incredible writers behind the stories, and the awesome readers who engage with them.
Together, we’ve shared the magic of writing through some jaw-dropping revelations and thought-provoking stories.
So we’ve handpicked a diverse chandelier of gripping pieces that kept readers hooked from start to finish all the way through 2023.
This list aims to showcase the eclectic voices that define our community.
We’ve also decided to put together this list in the spirit of the platform’s latest feature, “Friend Of Medium.” Engage is rooted in the same principles as FOM.
Being a community-centric publication means that supporting our writers is in our ethos, and everything we do is with both the readers and authors in mind.
So every story below has a FOM hyperlink allowing free access to each story. You can share the link with others, meaning people can access it and pass it on.
Sharing a story using a Friend Link means the writer gets earnings from non-members who check it while still earning from paying members and friends who access the story through the hyperlink.
If you don’t want readers to bypass the paywall and read your stories in full, please let us know via private note, and we’ll replace it with the standard link.
Are Public Libraries a Dinosaur and Relic of the Past?
This dinosaur thought they were, but could I be wrong?
By Michael Rhodes
My Heart Finally Found Its Voice to Answer Their Awkward Question
It may not be a perfectly good answer, but it finally felt honest and appropriate
By Natalie
The Fear Of Success Is Real
Doing things just for fun is allowed
By Susan Wheelock
Is That What I Look Like?!
A gift I will treasure forever
By Claire Franky
How I Easily Publish 88 Pieces of Content Each Month Using This System
There is an art and a science to everything in life.
By Tom Handy
Medium Engagement is Salve for Rejection Wounds
One comment sent me over the moon today
By Deb Palmer
God Spoke to Me This Morning
And he made me laugh
By Annie Trevaskis
The Cultural Belief of Marrying Frogs
On hot sunny days, frogs get married
By Dr. Preeti Singh
This Shocking and Eye-Opening Dating Trend Brings New Heartache
Being Zombied is worse than Ghosting
By Lisa S. Gerard
3 Months After I Was Told I Have Cancer
My thoughts then and my reflections now
By Shanti C K
How Your Zoom Background Can Impact Trust and Competence Perception
Boost Your Zoom Presence
By B.R. Shenoy
Flipping the Tables on My Fear
Engage’s Challenge on ‘Fear Kills Dreams’ dredges up memories of a crushing moment in my early writing life
By Trisha Faye
I Should Have a Ph.D
In eavesdropping
By Edith Gallagher Boyd
Writers, Please, Don’t Give Up!
The road is long and tiring, but success can’t find you if you are unprepared and unavailable.
By Annelise Lords
Moose, Minks, & Muskrats: Thoreau’s Expedition along the Penobscot River in 1854
This is fiction, and some wildlife might not match what was true in Maine in 1854. Just for fun, let’s imagine Henry David Thoreau on a hunting and trapping expedition in the Maine woods
By Stephen Dalton
One’s Deepest Fear Should Be Jailed In The Basement
Then throw away the key and nail shut the door
By Joel R. Dennstedt
My Last Xmas Carol
How choosing your own song in life brings untold joy
By Wm Raff
Neurodivergence and Special Interests: Explored Through My Love of Linguistics
The theory of monotropism and a deep dive into an ADHD language nerd’s mind
By Ashely L. Crouch
The Magic of Elfing and Framily
Establishing holiday traditions, concocting joy from thin air, and redefining family.
By Melissa Corrigan
A Story of Family and Change
The Wind in the Trees
By Darrel Boyd
Maximizing Tiny Pockets of Time
In a way that doesn’t exhaust me.
By Jenna Tidd
How to Stay Motivated During the Festive Season
A few ideas to help you keep the wheels rolling
By Mario López-Goicoechea
He Called Her a Goddess, I Called Her a Cab, and That Saved Us Both
She had the boobs, but I had the banter, luckily…
By Rachel A Fefer
The Christmas Eve I Discovered the Secret of Santa
Took years of trial and error, loads of caffeine, and some wild, wacky ideas
By Mike Butler
Why Time Passes Faster as We Age
The Elusive Nature of Time Perception
By Rosa Diaz-Casal
The placement of these stories is in no way a reflection of ranking; each piece holds its unique charm and has left an indelible mark on Engage.
As the curtain drops on 2023, we want to extend our heartfelt gratitude to every member of our vibrant community, every link in our writing chain, and our beloved writers and readers.
Your passion, creativity, and dedication have fueled Engage’s boosters in our maiden flight around the sun.
Here’s to another year of shared stories, thought-provoking ideas, and the incredible bond that makes Engage the thriving community it is.
Wishing each one of you a Happy New Year! May 2024 bring you joy, success, and, of course, more incredible stories to savor. Let’s continue to walk down the yellow brick road together.
Cheers to a fantastic year ahead!
You Rock!
The Engage family is always open to welcoming new writers. Explore our new This Happened to Me, Self, Life, and Life Lessons categories. If you have a story to share, find out how to submit it below. We can’t wait to read your story and welcome you into the Engage community.
Meanwhile, please consider subscribing to our newsletter.
