Summer Recap and What’s Next on Engage
A record-breaking summer for the publication where you are the story
Hi everyone,
I’m back with a new edition of our newsletter, and we have a lot to celebrate. Since May, we have more than doubled our monthly reach, with views growing exponentially.
June was a record-breaking month — our best run on the platform since we launched. Since then, we’ve managed to stay on top of the wave and keep riding it. In July, we were only down by a couple of thousand views, and last month, we had roughly the same number of views as in July.
Engage has successfully navigated the summer doldrums unscathed, and we have you to thank for our steady performance. We also had a record-breaking number of stories boosted during this period, which shows how quality is a key factor for success.
Medium updated its quality guidelines in August, and we recommend giving them a read here.
Engage will stay true to its winning formula of publishing only the best human stories — stories rooted in firsthand experience, from storytellers and “doers” who write with the reader in mind.
The future seems bright for our writer’s guild and we will strive to help you succeed. So, we’re looking for life-enriching stories that add real value to the reading experience, and we’ll go on motivating you to produce your best work.
If you’re looking to elevate your writing, this story is a great place to start.
Below, you’ll find every story we published in August, as a token of our commitment to amplifying your voice and helping you grow as both a writer and a human being in the endless chain of storytelling.
August on Engage
The Risk of Waiting — Why I’m Choosing Adventure Now Over Stability
Leaving my “dream job” to embrace the challenges of life at sea
Published on Aug 30
By Cory Vinny
I Tried to Hack the System and the System Won
A young boy confronts one of his childhood bogeyman fears, and it eventually turns into a fine bit of comedy
Published on Aug 30
I Don’t Like Lima Beans
What cooking for a difficult human taught me about professionalism, patience, and grace
Published on Aug 30
By Elizabeth
My Highwire Year at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
To make it through the workday, I couldn’t talk about the crisis unfolding at home.
Published on Aug 29
Being A Female Lorry Driver in the UK
Challenges, benefits, and tips for both male and female drivers
Published on Aug 27
By Julia knight
Early Days in the Billion-Dollar Word Processing Wars
The View from Inside Microsoft
Published on Aug 27
How I’m Refitting an Old Sailboat For New Adventures At Sea
Our DIY journey to make Chérie into a true dream maker
Published on Aug 26
By Cory Vinny
Camera or Smartphone
Smartphone cameras are getting better and better, but they still can’t do everything
Published on Aug 25
Dad’s Swollen Feet
Why you should stop disowning the people you love over politics
Published on Aug 25
Exploring the American South
My college friend took me on an educational tour of the South
Published on Aug 25
By Zail Dugal
The Foraging Instinct Runs Deep in Our Family
How I grew up in a family of foragers
Published on Aug 24
By Sally Ito
Not All Those Who Wander Are Lost — But Some Are
How a “Chameleon” stole my true colours
Published on Aug 23
By James Lloyd
From Van Life to Sailboat Dreams — Living on the Edge Takes Practice
Adventure is a skill you can hone
Published on Aug 22
By Cory Vinny
There’s a First Time for Everything
I’m at a point in my life where I don’t “have” to do something
Published on Aug 22
Not Good Enough
From star car to junk punk: a tribute to our childhood van
Published on Aug 20
By Gleenobly
How I’m Escaping My Office Job to Sail the World Full-Time
Turns out you don’t need to be rich to live your dream at 37
Published on Aug 19
By Cory Vinny
Fixing Your Memories in Time and Space: The First Step in Memoir Creation
But getting those memory odds-and-ends corralled is only the beginning
Published on Aug 19
By Dan Hiland
At the Summit of Mt. Ararat: Making Little Me Happier
Since childhood, it has been my dream to climb Mount Ararat
Published on Aug 17
A Morning by Lake Victoria — Near Kisumu
Part #6 of Making a Difference with SANGO-Kenya
Published on Aug 17
By Etan Rozin
Was the Land Expressing Itself Through Me?
I thought hiking and drawing were self-expression
Published on Aug 16
By James Lloyd
I Trudged a Murky Pond With a Disc Snatching Stick
Our adventure at the disc golf course
Published on Aug 16
By Aster Lately
See You at Black Rock City
Burning Man 2024 writing prompt: Only your stories can heal a broken world
Published on Aug 15
By Rui Alves
A Monday Morning in Moscow
Experiencing Moscow’s winter wonders and unexpected moments through a first-time visitor’s eyes
Published on Aug 15
A Caregiver’s Guide to Managing End-of-Life
Be prepared when the time comes
Published on Aug 14
By Lee Vaughan
The Summit Isn’t the Only Place on the Mountain
A cautionary tale for fellow mountain-dwelling, adventure-seeking, borderline reckless human beings.
Published on Aug 13
How I Met the “First Ever Mountainbiker of the UK”
And why I’ll always remember it
Published on Aug 12
By Sanne
Capturing the Elephant
It was the first day of a 15 day “classic safari” trip to Kenya and Tanzania. We had just left the hotel to drive across the Ngorongoro…
Published on Aug 11
The Story Behind Engage’s Meteoric Rise
How we’re building a community of unique stories
Published on Aug 11
By Rui Alves
Returning to Sausalito from Rio Vista
I learned a ton and ran aground, and almost crashed my boat!
Published on Aug 11
By Donn Denman
A Feast in Kisumu
Learning how to cook using unfamiliar crops. Part #5
Published on Aug 11
By Etan Rozin
Don’t Be Blindsided By Shame For Life
The shame lesson of elementary school still bites
Published on Aug 11
By Jl Millis
From Detroit with Love: My Ford F150 Odyssey
The things we do for trucks…
Published on Aug 10
By Dan Hiland
How To Turn a Faltering Business Around — Part II
A business turnaround artist teaches me how to find out what humans actually want
Published on Aug 10
Beachy Head Became a Place Where Life Begins Again
The Chaplaincy shows the profound impact of Community on mental health
Published on Aug 10
By James Lloyd
How Losing an Organ Inspired Me to Trek to Everest Base Camp
My most cherished and life-changing journey
Published on Aug 9
By Ana
Five Words That Prevented Her Death — But Didn’t Save Her Life
Walking away from her at that moment, I felt tremendous guilt
Published on Aug 8
By James Lloyd
Practicing What We Learned — Seeing How It Is Done
Part #4 of my adventure with SANGO-Kenya
Published on Aug 6
By Etan Rozin
Why a Writer Makes the Leap to be a Politician
It is definitely not for more money
Published on Aug 6
By Tom Handy
After Action Review — How Was Burning Man?
This article recounts my experiences at Burning Man in 2018. It is also best viewed on mobile due to archive images being low…
Published on Aug 6
An Intimate View of a Not-Yet Violent “Protest”
Crowds of people in Hull city centre’s Victoria Square
Published on Aug 5
A Map of a Place That No Longer Exists
Revisiting a childhood place and the story it carries
Published on Aug 5
By Florin Popa
Berlin — A Story About Love…
… and survival
Published on Aug 4
An Unexpected Illness Hit My Most Significant Trip Ever
My cautionary story for the overworked serves as a reminder of life’s essentials
Published on Aug 3
By Ben Choy
Everything You Need to Know About How I Messed Up
Trying to pick up the gauntlet, but it’s so heavy.
Published on Aug 3
By Carrie Jones
Balancing Act: How Fear Ground My Loyalty to a Halt
The steel girder juts out high above the ravine like a tightrope suspended between mountains. The river carves a path below the bridge…
Published on Aug 2
By John Holahan
I Hiked 12 Miles on a Fractured Ankle
I had to get out of the woods, and walking was my only option
Published on Aug 2
Sailing up the Sacramento Delta
Anchoring was a near disaster as I sailed up The Delta from Sausalito
Published on Aug 2
By Donn Denman
How I Found Peace and Enlightenment at Sun Moon Lake
Three days of cycling and exploring in Taiwan
Published on Aug 1
Out for the First Training Session
SANGO-Kenya diary #3. Meeting the farmers
Published on Aug 1
By Etan Rozin
Why I’m Doing the Florida Weave
I’ve been dancing in and out of the tomato field
Published on Aug 1
By Aster Lately
My Twenty-Five Year Experience with Supraventricular Tachycardia
“You’ve ever seen a human heart? It looks like a fist wrapped in blood!” — Larry, from the film Closer
Published on Aug 1
Editors’ note:
That’s all for now! We look forward to reading more from you soon. If you have anything to share, feel free to leave a comment below, and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.
