10 Quick Questions About My Medium Journey Answered

Question # 6 was by far the most interesting one to answer. And how my response evolved completely took me by surprise!

I recently read many of my Medium friends’ responses to the fun 10-question challenge and decided to hop on after being tagged by my dear friend Dr Preeti Singh.

So without further ado, let’s dive right in!

🎈Do you follow a routine every day for writing on Medium?

The short answer is no.

I wrote and submitted my previous post at 11 p.m. Wednesday night following a long day. I could have written it earlier but the inspiration for it struck close to midnight and I didn’t want to lose the opportunity.

The truth is I had been talking to someone special who recently came into my life and it was only natural to be inspired by our exchanges.

However, my normal writing hours begin at 3.30–4 a.m. to around 6 am in the morning. I am usually the most productive with my writing during that time.

Then I utilize gaps during the day to read and comment on articles.

🎈Do you choose your title before or after writing your story? How long do you spend thinking of a title?

I usually start with a working title which eventually changes as the blog takes shape. The reason maybe I have no idea how a post will turn out as I never preplan anything in advance.

Writing is the one thing I never let my overthinking nature seep into and I plan to keep it that way.

Earlier, I used to make extra effort to write great titles but after a while, I decided on a more organic, spur-of-the-moment approach. By that I mean I no longer overthink my titles and it works fine for me.

For example, I earned $300 for both the articles I’m linking below. For one I painstakingly followed the Famous 5 rule to create the perfect title, and for the second post, I was so distraught while writing about a breakup that I put in the first title that popped into my mind.

#Viral

#Boosted

🎈Do you choose your main photo before or after writing?

For me, the right image is crucial not just for me to get into the flow of things but also for something that I believe sets my posts apart. I recently started paying for a premium membership to get fresh and unique pictures for my posts and I believe the investment is well worth it.

🎈If you’re writing a story about yourself, do you try to choose an image that looks like you?

Haha — interesting question!

How I am perceived in the minds of my readers may very well have something to do with my image choices. In case you didn’t know, the majority of Medium users are males in the ages 18–34 so it makes sense for me to present my article in a way that appeals to a wider audience than just a specific age group.

🎈How many drafts do you write for your story?

Rarely more than one. That is why I chose blogging specifically. It is more informal, in-the-moment writing about stuff happening in my life.

🎈Do you ever start a story with something in mind, and it turns into something totally different? Please give an example.

All the time!

For example, I wrote When You Are Making Love to Me as a short form, however, when I fleshed it out for my Sunday post on Substack, it evolved into something completely different involving the Red Thread of Fate that connects two people who are destined to meet.

Please don’t ask me how it went from here to there but it all (surprisingly) coalesced nicely in the end.

It happened again with a different post titled “Habibi” for Substack, however, when I reposted it to Medium it spoke more about how some writers tend to use their love interests as muses and then discard them once they outlive their purpose.

🎈Did you ever get an idea for a story because of a comment you wrote to someone?

Of course!

A short form about a mysterious writer crush that established me as a romance writer on this platform was inspired by a comment. Who knew it would lead to a successful fantasy series?

The comments are indeed a gold mine with great payoff when mined correctly.

🎈How long have you been writing on Medium, and how many stories have you published?

I started in 2021 and it looks like I’ve published over 300 stories.

🎈If you could change or add one thing to Medium what would it be?

I am happy to have the opportunity to write on a platform like Medium. It has given me exposure, a supportive environment to develop my craft, and a connection with wonderful writers and editors. I have tried other platforms (Simily, Vocal Media, NewsBreak), however, Medium continues to be my favorite.

This was in response to the 10-question challenge by Pam Winter. Thanks, Pam!