A Short List Of Tips For Writing On Medium
What I’ve learned about how to write good articles for this website
I’ve been writing on Medium for about a year and a half now, and that year has had some pretty serious ups and downs. Some months have included wild success and multi-thousand-dollar stories; most months have included underperforming articles and a healthy dose of disappointment.
But, in 18 months of writing, I have managed to learn a handful of things about what it takes to write articles that succeed. Here are some of these things, in no particular order:
Write about something people care about
There are a lot of things in the world that people don’t really care about. Articles that reach the front page of Medium, on the other hand, are things people care about. Medium’s featured articles today are about:
- What the perfect friendship looks like
- Rethinking how we relate to loneliness
- How the key to happiness is actually hard work
These are topics that touch everyone, no matter their ethnicity or career or country of origin.
Write about something YOU care about
At the same time, you can’t just pick a topic because you think it will be financially lucrative. It’s already difficult to produce tens of thousands of words a month; it’s that much harder when it’s a topic you don’t care about.
Decide what point you’re trying to make
One weakness in the writing of many beginners is that their articles wind and wind in no particular direction. So when readers reach the end of an article, they feel less like they’ve arrived at a destination and more like they’ve just been taken for a pointless ride.
Good articles are ones that make a strong point. Before you write an article that winds and winds, decide what point you are trying to make.
Find research that supports your argument
Anyone who’s even remotely clever can come up with compelling reasons for why they are right. But, even the most clever reasons are not necessarily founded in truth. It’s important that you explain not only what you’re trying to say, but provide evidence that what you’re trying to say is true.
Find (or write) stories that support your argument
Unfortunately, facts aren’t enough to convince people (even though it would be better if they were). The human brain thrives on stories. If you can find stories, either real or invented, that demonstrate how what you’re trying to say is true, the article you end up writing will be much more persuasive.
Address potential objections within your article
Readers who are clever and are thinking through what you write are likely to find holes in your argument. If at all possible, address the holes in your argument within the body of the text. If this isn’t possible, address objections in footnotes or at the end of your article. In my experience, readers appreciate it when writers demonstrate they have given the topic they are writing about some hard thought.
Include quotes
This seems like a stupid, aesthetic addition — and it is — but quotes make an article look that much prettier.
“Pullquotes are a beautiful addition to any article.” -Me, quoting myself
In addition to looking beautiful, quotes are also among the most highlighted sentences of any Medium story.
End with a recommendation
Some articles call readers to action, such as telling them to make a landing page or start their side project. Other articles merely call for thought, such as asking the reader to rethink their position on political issues or asking the reader to revise their beliefs about certain things. Every article has some kind of recommendation at the end. If possible, make this recommendation as clear as possible for your reader.
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