I Challenged Myself to Write More

Here is what I learned

Marina Fleider
Feedium
5 min readJun 8, 2021

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The scariest moment is always just before you start. After that, things can only get better.

― Stephen King, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft

Last fall, I wrote about online shopping for Better Humans. This was my first piece of published work and I was ecstatic. Alas, a few rejections followed and my writing slowed as a result. I felt a little dejected but after a dry spell decided to persevere. I followed up with another article in March (similar topic, same publication) but it didn’t fare as well.

I love sharing advice gleaned from personal experiences and expressing thoughts through writing. Since I enjoy it so much, I figured, why not do it more often? I buckled down and published four articles in three different publications in April. I was inspired.

I decided to write every other day in May and publish as many articles as time permitted. The result? I published 14 articles in 6 publications. I gained 25 followers, reached 790 views, 280 reads, and 64 fans.

Here is what I learned:

  • Look at the ratios, not the numbers
  • Capture your reader’s attention
  • Diversify
  • Edit, edit, edit

And most importantly, don’t get discouraged!

Look at the Ratios, Not the Numbers

It’s easy to get caught up in the number of views or reads you get in a day. Why is one article getting more reads than another? Why do I have fewer views today than I did yesterday? To answer those questions, I consult my inner math geek.

The first ratio I look at is the read rate (reads/views). It shows me how many people read my article once they click on it. For May, my read rate of 35% indicates that out of every 10 people that clicked on an article, 3–4 of them read it.

The way I see it, my title, subtitle, and cover picture are the bait that lures readers in. But it’s the topic, introduction, and flow of text that keeps their attention. Hence, I’m focusing on growing my read rate through concise, relatable, and interesting pieces.

The second ratio I look at is the comment rate (fans/reads). Out of the people that read my articles, how many do I inspire to clap, highlight or comment? My comment rate for May was around 23%; a decent start. This is the number that drives an increase in followers. The stronger the reader’s response, the likelier they are to follow me and my writing shenanigans.

Capture Your Reader’s Attention

The first thing that editors and readers see is the title, subtitle, and picture. Medium does not like clickbait titles, but they don’t have to be boring. I strive for titles that are informative, concise, and catchy. They show the reader what the article is about and what they can learn from it.

I draft a title and subtitle at the beginning of my article but finalize them at the end. Why you may ask? Because the essence of the article might have changed, and I want the title to reflect its substance.

Say goodbye to boring old pictures. Strive to find something that’s still relevant to your article but is also unique and catchy. For example, I recently wrote about Why Multitasking is Scrambling Your Brain. I used a picture of a cracked egg for a play on the word “scrambling.”

Diversify

I strive to reach a broader audience by writing for many publications. I match up written articles with the best publications for them. Rejection only motivates me to write unique pieces and improve my writing.

I write about a variety of topics as well. I keep track of ideas and draft articles for them at a later time, often working on more than one piece at a time. I haven’t yet figured out what niche works best for me but most of my articles center on topics that interest me.

I also experiment with the length of articles. My longest articles were a good fit for Better Humans but not so much for other publications. I like writing for 2 Minute Madness because I practice writing short, concise pieces. Most of my other articles are 4–5min long.

Edit, Edit, Edit

I draft a full article before going back and editing it. That way, the flow of my writing is not broken up by the editing process. And once I’m in the “editing” zone, beware! I will ruthlessly slash at words and sentences.

In the words of Don Roff:

I’ve found the best way to revise your own work is to pretend that somebody else wrote it and then to rip the living shit out of it.

Tools

When I edit, I use two tools to help me. I use the free versions of Grammarly and Hemingway. As I’m typing right now, the Grammarly add-in is monitoring for errors.

The free version of Grammarly tells me about complex issues but not where they are. Hemingway, however, highlights problematic sentences but doesn’t provide solutions. I learn more by using the free versions of the tools because I have to figure out how to correct the sentence myself.

Flow

I pay attention to the tone of my article and consistency. I vary the length of sentences and ensure there is a good flow between sections to engage the reader. I ensure that subheadings are informative and conducive to skimming.

Paragraph Length

I try to keep paragraph length to under 5 lines, often even less. I want the article to be easy to read and scroll through on a smartphone.

Don’t Get Discouraged

At the end of the day, some articles will perform better than others. Sometimes the topic that interests me doesn’t captivate my readers. At other times, the titles and pictures are not engaging or the article doesn’t flow well. I use it as a learning process for improving my writing going forward.

It also helps to have some editors-in-chief around you. Quick shout out to my husband and brother.

Conclusion

Although I’m starting my writing journey on Medium, I’ve already learned a lot and am optimistic. I’m focusing on writing interesting, relatable, and concise pieces that capture the reader’s attention.

In early June, I published two articles (one in a new publication), both of which are at 50%+ read ratios. For me, that is a huge accomplishment and shows that my hard work is paying off.

Source: Author

If you are starting your writing journey, you’re not alone and I hope the above tips help guide and motivate you. If you read my articles, thank you for your interest. I hope you are enjoying the journey with me!

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