Lessons on the First Year as A Medium Writer

The Pen is Indeed Mightier Than the Sword

All in all, it has been a great experience writing on Medium. I will do what I believe I do best and share my thoughts here.

Relax, You Won't "Break the Internet."

Your heart will pound before hitting the green "publish" for the first time. You will think: Is this happening? Am I going to be a "published author?" The answer is "Yes." Medium has made it that simple.

But before you publish, you will beat yourself up over editing and grammatical perfection. You have likely used Grammarly and spellcheck to edit all flaws. You will post what you believe to be a flawless piece and… curses! There is a semi-colon where you swore there was a colon. There is an uncapitalized "t" and a misspelled word. Oh, the devastation! You will worry that your fellow writers will not take you seriously.

Chances are, your first story will not break the internet and go viral with millions reading at once, exposing all of your mistakes and insecurities to the world.

Do not be too hard on yourself. You can fix it. Keep calm and "Edit the Story." It is just that easy. Crisis averted. Restore your Pen Zen.

Critics Will Rave

No one is going to read this, you may think. But, when they actually do, oh joy! I wrote about 50 stories this year. Some received ten views, and others thousands. What is most intriguing is the comments.

Some comments are enlightening. I was surprised by how knowledgeable the audience is on any topic. Medium readers are students, PhDs, artists, professionals, and aspiring writers. Some are NYT Best Sellers. Readers are from all walks of life and will comment on your content. While some comments take the conversation further and add to it with productive critique, others may outright disapprove of your work, call you names, and have no problem letting you know. I have been called everything from a “gold-digger” to “inhumane” in the comments section for my published content. That one (inhumane) really hurt because I write to spread love and positivity. I have learned that not everyone will get it, and that is okay.

With my first negative criticism, I wanted to give up. Then, I stumbled upon Paul Graham's Hierarchy of Disagreement, and I use it as a filter for how and if to respond to comments. New writers, please read my story: How (Not) to Comment for insight on how to deal with comments.

Lesson learned: Do not give up when you receive criticism in the comments section. Take it with a grain of salt. Learn from it or leave it alone.

(Do, or) Don't Be Shy

Medium allows for pseudonyms which is good. I write under a pen name. It protects my privacy. I have nothing to hide, but I live and work in a town where everything must be politically correct (Washington, DC). Of course, I always aim to write within the boundaries of decency and respect for my fellow humans. But, an alias helps me to let my hair down.

Claps

See those little white hands beneath a story? They allow you to give and get a round of applause for content. Clapping is fun. Maybe too much fun. I am now addicted to claps, thanks to Medium! (I know, I know, Medium, not your problem.)

For almost an entire year, I thought there was a one-clap limit. Imagine the pleasure when I realized you could clap more than once. I clapped my little fingers off (fifty times) until I could not anymore. It was exhilarating.

Overall, I would recommend writing on Medium to others. I am grateful for the opportunity to share thoughts and stories with others who spend their precious time reading.

Everyone has a unique writing style. My advice to other writers is to keep your personal writing "mission" and standards in mind with every story you publish. Stay true to yourself, be authentic, and make a difference in a way that only you can.

Words really do matter.