From Lost Love to New-Found Passion: My 3 Months Journey in Medium
My feelings and learnings sans earnings, and expressing gratitude
Ninety days on the trot.
Can I proclaim writing on Medium as my lifestyle change per the 21/90 habit rule?
I post once or twice a week on average, stealing time whenever I can — juggling between work and family commitments. Now there is a method to my madness.
This post is a toast to our friendship!
I was an active writer in my college days, contributing across personal blogs, discussion forums, and journals. I even fancied my chances of writing a mystery novel. However, my passion took a backstage once I started my professional career.
After reading Niharikaa Kaur Sodhi’s journey on LinkedIn, I felt inspired to reignite my passion for writing. The prospect of earning some extra bucks was an added motivation, particularly with the highly anticipated launch of the Medium Partner Program (MPP) in India.
Sadly, the launch was postponed and is now expected to take place at the end of the year.
I waited around the shores for about two months before opting for the Medium membership. This was to ensure that I still had that flair for writing, along with the space and inclination to do so consistently.
To date, I have published 19 stories across 9 different publications. I have gained over 100 followers, which makes me feel jubilant and motivated at the same time.
Surely, it has been a journey of self-exploration. I even coaxed my spouse, Aastha Bajaj to join Medium as an alternative to social media and start sharing her experiences, with me fulfilling duties as a proofreader.
As I take a moment to reflect on this brief expedition, here is what I have experienced:
# Weaving wisdom
- With Medium Editor and Unsplash as my starting tools, I soon recognized Grammarly, ProWritingAid, and Dall-E to be quite handy for efficient editing and creating the appropriate images.
- Reading more helps enhance writing skills. Active reading exposes us to exclusive information and ideas, encouraging experimentation with proven expertise to add style to substance.
- Some revelations feel like finding a crisp currency note between the yellow pages of an old book. Now instead of poking like a woodpecker, I can hold the clap icon to an encore.
- The submission guidelines by Medium and prestigious publications are like the author's commandments, which one should adhere to religiously before providing an offering.
# Aha attainment
- I understand the challenges behind handling piles of requests and the onus to maintain the quality standards of a publication. Hence, it feels no less than a feat to be approved as a writer for a publication.
- The sense of relief upon seeing your story published after hours of waiting while doubts linger.
- The joy of building a herd in a digital world aka followers, also puts a responsibility to produce high-quality content that readers can enjoy and benefit from.
- Claps are to Medium as likes are to Instagram. However, the claps offer an element of gradation — ranging from 1 to 50. It's intriguing to receive varying levels of appreciation from different readers, like shades of a rainbow.
- It's pleasing to see the green highlights among the white spaces. A response on top of it becomes a ripple of resonating thoughts and feelings — reminding that what goes around, comes around in unexpected ways.
- Being included in a reader's reading list is a privilege, and subscribing to an email list is an even greater endorsement of one's craft.
# Meh moments
- Some people term it as writer’s block. For me, it is more like searching for the right chords. It’s a journey through wilderness in search of a promised land.
- You put your heart and soul into your work, hoping for a positive outcome. It feels disappointing when your story fails to gain the attention you hoped for and fades to oblivion.
- When trying to build an audience, getting your story featured in a popular publication seems an obvious way to gain exposure. It can be frustrating when you don’t get the approval nod you hope for.
- The spam responses asking you to click on a link to generate quick income are a big turn-off, especially when you are anticipating engaging comments on the story.
In those moments of disappointment, I remind myself of the famous Bhagavad Gita lesson: You have control over the actions but not the results. Do your Karma without worrying about the fruits.
Overall this journey has been like a stroll in an exquisite garden. I smell the roses, pluck the fruits, dance with the butterflies and caress the paddy field on my way.
Finally, my heartfelt gratitude and a BIG shout-out to:
- Writers for the life-enriching posts. You make me smile, cry, think, introspect, learn, and inspire in so many ways.
- Readers for your time and encouragement. Your generous claps, responses, and highlights are much appreciated as a morale booster.
- Followers and Subscribers for bestowing your trust. Your fellowship feels like a warm handshake or a tight hug of acceptance.
- Editors for putting all the hard work into selecting, shining, and stringing the pearls together. You inspire us to push beyond the limits and bring the best foot forward.
- Medium Staff for maintaining this wonderful platform and synergy across the group. Your curated recommendations make it irresistible to take a break amidst an otherwise occupied mind and schedule.
Thank you for reading this post and being part of my celebration. More love, bear hugs, and cheers to the entire Medium fraternity. Here’s a collection of my top five posts to date:
- Genre — Spirituality
2. Genre — Self-Improvement
3. Genre — Shortform
4. Genre— Story
5. Genre — Poetry
