Editor’s Choice — Top 10

How To Write More Positive and Inspiring Stories

Let’s have a look at our top 10 stories today

Why do you occasionally sprinkle crushed red pepper on your pizza? Things taste more enjoyable if you mix different flavors in a controlled way.

Something similar happens when it comes to writing inspiring stories. Inspiring pieces should start with troubling tales to let the positivity shine through.

At 28, Beethoven experienced hearing issues. At 44 or 45, he went totally deaf. He could not converse — and his colleagues and friends passed written notes back and forth to talk to him. He did not quit composing music. His famous Sixth Symphony conveys the peace of the countryside, where he lived after losing his hearing.

Writing an inspiring story is all about the contrast you can create.

Why does someone write an inspiring story? Because they are going through some sh*t. Or they faced hard times in the past. These writers want to see and show a positive world.

Cultivating empathy is the first step to write an inspiring story.

Helen Keller lost her sense of sight and hearing at the age of nineteen months. She used home signs until the age of seven. Then Anne Sullivan taught her to read and write. Helen Keller authored 12 books. Her inspiring books have titles such as Optimism, Out of the Dark, Light in my Darkness, The Open Door, and Let Us Have Faith. The tone of her message is positive.

The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched — they must be felt with the heart. ~ Helen Keller

Think of painting a masterpiece. If the artist can handle complex shades of white and black better, the painting feels more alive.

Paulo Coelho wrote The Alchemist, one of the most inspiring books I have read. He wrote it because he would collect plastic bottles in Paris to buy food. Later, he and his wife went on their bicycles to distribute his first book. “When I was young, my parents sent me to a mental institution three times — 1966, 1967, 1968 — because I wanted to be a writer,” he says.

If you are going through troubling times right now, use the power of this experience to write inspiring stuff. I believe, at such times, our feeling antennae become more sensitive to all kinds of negativity around us.

The only way to escape negativity is to consciously decide to see things through a different lens. Deliberately choose to view reality from a positive perspective — and then share your view.

If you are worried that a more optimistic viewpoint may feel unnatural, use it more intelligently. Just remember that a negative or positive worldview is totally arbitrary.

Your readers love to be inspired. If people liked to read grim stories, the writers would write them. Since a large proportion of your readers wants to feel inspired, it is better to give them something to hold on to — while they are going through their f**ked up lives.

Always end your story on a positive note. Share your practical takeaways that they can use to convince themselves to work for their dreams.

Here is a list of our top 10 stories today to inspire you and make you more positive:

10. Mouthfeel

Deborah Barchi has recently retired from her career as a librarian and now has time to read, explore nature, and write poetry and essays.

She is a skilled writer. Her writing style is charming, smooth, and pleasing. Don’t miss this masterpiece.

Mouthfeel is a thing.

Connoisseurs of food and wine make a big deal about mouthfeel. And so do the rest of us who enjoy the sensations in our mouths when we eat. Think melted butter on warm toast. Or the juicy pulp that fills our mouths with the first bite of an apple. That’s mouthfeel.

I also believe there is another kind of mouthfeel. The feeling of words in our mouths.

9. One Quote to Make You Question Everything

Anna Valerie is naturally secretive but trying to be brave. She is new to Medium and has been published in Curious and Modern Parent.

She is a wonderful writer. Her writing style is honest, humble, easy to read, and very engaging. It is a 4-minute read but feels like a 1-minute read. Do check it out.

As a teenager, I’d always felt “wrong” for being so anxious and unhappy — I saw these feelings as a sign of my failure to fit in, and as long as I felt them, I thought I would never be the well-adjusted person I so wanted to be. If only I could just be like everyone else. If only I wasn’t so uncomfortable. Again and again, I tried to change myself into the kind of person who would never feel uncomfortable: someone with thick (and perfect) skin; someone whose body looked like those in magazines; someone who always knew how to talk back; someone who knew a bit more than everyone else.

8. Create Instant Artificial Ambiance for Sleep/Relaxation/Motivation

Mark Basson is a self-taught developer. He writes about tech, programming, and life in general.

The cover image for this article is from an ambiance video on the YouTube channel New Bliss. You can access the video here. This is a new one released a week ago and has become one of my favorites. The scene is as I described above.

Ambiance videos are beautifully detailed and have realistic visuals and soundtracks to accompany the scene. A lot of them play for up to 8 or 10 hours.

7. 3 Dead Simple Ways To Make A New Habit Stick

Nathan Burriston writes about tech, education, love, and life. He is a Global Citizen and he is always learning.

He is a superb writer. His writing style is frank, direct, and pleasant. Do check his other work.

You can’t escape all the information telling you exactly what you need to do to improve your life.

It’s all there. In your podcasts, articles, and documentaries. Meditate, sleep 8 hours, eat plant-based foods, get a dog, the list is endless. The advice is everywhere, you know it works, but you still struggle to do anything about it. Sound familiar?

6. Why You Should Tackle Short Stories Before Writing A Novel

AJ Krow is a teacher and a writer. Future Author. Aspiring Linguist. CS Grad Student. Progressive Voter.

He is an excellent writer. His writing style is honest, direct, and easy to read. Do check his other work.

In the summer of 2019, I sat at my computer and skimmed through the 6,000 words I had written ten years before.

That summer, I decided to spend each night writing 1,000 words a day until I completed the first draft of my novel. After reading through the draft I had written in 2009, I started from scratch and wrote for over a month until I produced 31,443 words.

5. Having Sex With A Stranger — The Absurd Universal Concept of Arranged Marriage

The Maverick Files is a thinker, finance professional, loving husband, a doting dad, and fitness enthusiast. He is an MBA in Finance & Marketing and Comp.

He is an excellent writer. His writing style is simple, honest, direct, and very engaging. Do check his other work.

Marriage is probably the most widely accepted man-made social construct and is often referred to as a “cultural universal” by sociologists or anthropologists. A cultural universal is defined as:

“The anthropological name for something done, in some form or other, by every human culture around the world. This includes language, religion, music, art, war, families, gender roles, laws, taboos, personal names, etiquette, morals, etc.”

4. 5 Minimalist Principles to Keep Your Home Tidy

Kevin Lee is a lover of life and coffee. Former Investment Analyst that enjoys Writing. Persistent Risk Taker. Londoner. Millennial. ENTP.

He is a superb writer. His writing style is frank, relaxed, and charming. You might have missed this piece, but it will help you keep your home tidy.

I’ll be the first to admit it.

I don’t want to throw all my stuff away. I don’t want to have a packing party and box up all my possessions just so I can figure out what I need and what I don’t. It sounds like an enormous hassle.

I mean, who doesn’t already know they don’t need most of their stuff? I’m sure we’d all love to live clutter-free but there is a limit to how much we are willing to sacrifice.

3. Everyone Needs a Side-Hustle

Pat Austin Becker is a consumer of life, ELA teacher, Louisiana ambassador, and avid reader. She is the author of Cane River Bohemia: Cammie Henry and her Circle at Melrose Plantation (LSU Press).

She is an exceptional writer. Her writing style is easy to read, honest, and very engaging. She is new to Medium and needs your love.

Having a side-hustle is a good way to expand not only your income but also your experience of living.

My side-hustle is writing, and this has paid off for me in a million ways. This is noteworthy because as a writer, you have probably never heard of me, but writing has enriched my life in so many ways.

2. 9 Signs You’re A Strong Person

L.A. Strucke is a writer and songwriter. Her interests include music, poetry, art, and all things creative. She contributes to numerous publications.

She is an outstanding writer. Her writing style is calm, easy to read, and very engaging. She has thousands of followers. Don’t forget to check her other work.

Have you met someone who handles the stresses of life with ease? Do you wonder how they became that way? They have the following characteristics of a strong person. If you have these traits, then you are strong too.

They keep their emotions under control

When something bad happens they try to keep calm and don’t get hysterical.

1. How to Overcome Obstacles in Your Life

At number one it is Bill Abbate. He is a leadership coach and author. And he is a great guy.

He is an accomplished writer and author. His writing style is informative, easy to read, direct, and very engaging. If you like reading this article, follow him and check his other work as well.

When you run into an obstacle in life, what do you do? Do you face it head-on? Do you allow it to stop you in your tracks? Or do you retreat?

Overcoming obstacles is important in life. The only way to go through life without running into obstacles is to stop living. You can’t lock yourself away in a deserted place with all of the provisions you need forever. Even if you could do that, you will still face obstacles. There is no place of refuge, other than a very temporary one at best.

This post is part of the Top 10 Series — you can meet 500+ top writers with these links:

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Final Thoughts

If your story was selected in the Top 10, please share another one of your stories with a brief introduction and a short convincing review — in the comments. (Please write the review in the third person and start it with your name.)

I must have missed something today. I cannot read every story on Illumination and Illumination-Curated. I try — and fail daily — to read all of the masterpieces.

I am inviting you to join our private Facebook group for Illumination writers. Also please follow my publication — positive minds.

If you find any mistake, typo, or other error, please leave a private note for correction. Thanks.

To be included as a top 10 writer, read these curation guidelines carefully.

You can read my curated stories here.