Member-only story
Hitting the 100 Followers Mark
All of a sudden, I got curious
About eight months ago, I showed up at Medium, knowing little about how it works for certain purposes (I knew I’d figure them out along the way) but certain about the fact that this is potentially a happy place for the reader and writer in me.
I was initially preoccupied with letting my own circles know about the stories I put out. I did that while inviting them to come to the platform and follow me. Not surprisingly, they cheered me on and recited pleasantries about my writing. But surprisingly, not many of them understood what they needed to do or perhaps what they needed to be in order to make it worth their while to be on the platform and seek me out.
So, I learned that you can’t make readers of people overnight. You can’t force them to develop an interest in certain things at the whim of a request. Most of all, you can’t expect them to “get” what you are saying. They have their own cares, mindsets, thinking patterns, reading preferences, yes even vocabulary and comprehension levels. Your story is not for everyone, no matter how you fuse your writing with what you deem to be recognizable and relatable experiences and insights.
Thankfully, the platform itself is rich in friendly advice on the woes of a newbie Medium dweller. I read on. It was my original…
