Editor’s Picks — Top 10: Be the Creative Genius You Dream About

Read our top 10 creative writers

I’ve always been fascinated by stories. A prince saves the princess, and a small boy slays the giant. A girl starts writing what would be her best story.

Writing every day, I am frightened by the thought that I will run out of new ideas. Somehow I will not be able to write better than yesterday. Then one day, my princes will fail to save the princesses. And my small boys will be gobbled up by the big giants.

But, as a writer, you have felt that too.

On top of the fear of losing creativity — as if it was virginity — people around me don’t understand what writing means to me. They think I’ll not be able to make money only by storytelling. They fear I’ll always be rejected by the big guys. I feel humiliated both by the rejections and the attitudes of my loved ones.

Creative people often face such questions. In her TED talk about creativity, Elizabeth Gilbert says, “My father was a chemical engineer, but during his forty years of service, nobody doubted that he would not be able to earn money. Nobody asked him, ‘what if you face the chemical-engineering block?’ Yet everybody asks me if I’ll be able to continue my writing journey.”

Though creativity is overrated, you should make your fear a friend. To have a healthy relationship with your fear, write it a message, ‘Hey dear fear, I am going to write a few words in my own style. I am safe, and nobody is going to kill me for that. I am worried that my readers may not like it, but you don’t have to take control of my mind and my body. It’s okay if I fail to write like Hemingway or Stephen King.’

I think this simple trick will help you become wildly more creative than a minute before writing this message to your fear.

Another vital thing to become more creative is to not talk about your present work. Let your story bother you; let it make you tense. To resolve this tension, you will read more and find a better way to express your ideas or tell your stories. Norman Mailer, a famous writer, said:

I think it’s bad to talk about one’s present work, for it spoils something at the root of the creative act. It discharges the tension. ~ Norman Mailer

The third important thing is to finish what you started writing. Your unfinished projects take space in your memory. They are living proofs that you don’t have what it takes. Why do you leave your projects half-finished? Simple, you want to make them perfect. The solution is equally simple — since your stories are never going to be perfect, just finish what you started. Done is better than perfect.

After you have finished your piece — and published it — forget about it. Check the comments but don’t take the responses of your readers as a judgment. Most people don’t read the articles written by a new writer. You’ll have to labor a lot before they start trusting your work.

Be friendly towards your fear, avoid talking about your present work, and finish what you start. Now you are ready to be a creative genius.

I had suggested that our top 10 writers provide their own introduction and the stories they would like to share. I am publishing the ideas they think are worth sharing and spreading.

If you want to get an idea of how good a writer is, this is your opportunity to read them.

10. Transitioning from Developer to Manager

Adam Prescott explains his worry and decision-making in considering whether or not to transition into a management role.

It’s not uncommon for successful software developers to find themselves in leadership positions. There are many possible leadership trajectories, one of which is management. Moving into management was scary for me, and over the years I’ve talked to a number of people at that point in their careers experiencing a similar dilemma. This is the story of my experience, why I made the decision I did, what I’ve learned along the way, and how it’s turned out.

9. She Encouraged Me to Share on Stage

Liz Porter is a corporate girl gone solopreneur. She wants to inspire and entertain her readers. Her style is charming, educating, and delightful. Don’t forget to read his other stories as well.

Liz Porter found out she loved writing late in life, and now it feels like breathing to her. She’s healing as she finds her voice, but her motivation is to empower you with her words.

She writes true gritty stories about the many twists and turns in her life. She lost herself in that mess, but on this special day, she shared secrets she hadn’t told anyone in front of an audience of 300 strangers.

Deciding on the soft pink blazer, I slid my bare feet into grey strappy sandals to pull the outfit together.

A nervous wreck, I ran back to the bathroom for the third time. That’s when I knew I’d be skipping breakfast.

It was still early, but I couldn’t trust the traffic, so I gunned it out of the driveway and took off. I considered bailing several times that morning, but Elizabeth was counting on me, and I couldn’t let her down.

She wasn’t the only one who changed that day…

8. Way Too Many Writers Make It Too Easy for Readers to Click Out of Their Articles

Boateng Sekyere writes engaging pieces on self-development. His style is, well, engaging. If you have not read it already, go ahead and read it. It will help you as a writer.

Here’s another article from Boateng Sekyere in which he shares some things readers expect writers to know, or else it’s curtains for the writer.

Writing from a reader’s point of view, he notes that sometimes writers don’t help their cause, they leave the reader little choice but to find a way out. Enjoy.

No force, no power, no human can rend asunder the bond between writer and reader. That’s what I’ve seen when I wore the cloak of a writer and played the role of a reader.

But sometimes, as a writer, even after you sprinkle the right amount of spice into your article — enough to whet their appetites and water their mouths — you realize only a few of them want a bite. Sorry, but it happens to every writer.

7. How Does Limulus Amebocyte Lysate Help You Live a Better Life?

Rich Sobel writes about fascinating creatures and biological issues that affect our lives.

In this story, Rich relates why fluid from horseshoe crabs is so important because it keeps us from getting infected when we get a shot from a doctor. Don’t miss this one if you like science.

Say it out loud a few times. Don’t try to think about what it might mean, just say it. Softly. To yourself.

It has a really nice sound to it and glides nicely on your tongue, doesn’t it? Kind of poetic.

When I say the first word, Limulus, I get an image of clouds, as in Cumulus or Cumulo-nimbus clouds, which kinda float in the sky.

6. 33 Life Lessons That Brought Me Growth In 33 Years

Sarah Seweryniak is an exceptional writer. Her style is full of suspense and drama. If you started reading her story, you’d not be able to click away easily. You’ll like her story and fall in love with her style. Don’t miss it.

Sarah believes one piece of content can change a person’s life. She uses personal and professional stories from her life to connect, inform and inspire her audience.

Aging is a privilege that’s granted to few. We’re always looking back instead of forward. We never realize the memories we’re making while we’re in the moment. We have a limited amount of time here. Commit to the present. Stop dwelling on what was and focus on what will be. Because the best is yet to come! Here are 33 lessons from her 33 years.

5. Banana Pudding and the Hegelian Dialectic

Janice Maves an essayist and a thinker. I am introducing her as an accomplished writer. Her writing style is engaging and thought-provoking. Do check her other work.

For some of us, the isolation of the pandemic has meant an increase in creativity. Janice Maves has used that creative surge to write about a wide range of topics. In her piece “Banana Pudding and the Hegelian Dialectic” Maves creativity takes a silly yet philosophical turn. Does banana pudding resolve her existential dilemma? Read this piece of curated Medium humor which comes served with both a side of whipped cream and thorough introspection.

When I was looking for a topic for my senior thesis in college I stumbled on the work of the 19th Century German philosopher, G.W.F. Hegel in the library of the Jesuit University I attended. I didn’t remember reading about the Hegelian Dialectic in philosophy classes or discussing him in any of my ethics seminars. The simple premise that we conjure up a thesis in life and are then challenged on that thesis with antithetical data was intriguing to me. That the resultant synthesis was a mere starting point for reconciliation of the next thesis was right up my alley.

The understanding of metaphysical conflicts was exactly the thing I had come to College to study. I was addicted to understanding the process of a mental process. That there was a systematic way we could explain this thing I was going through called growth, which was transforming me from a little ghetto brat into a soon to be graduate student blew my mind. That I was simultaneously reading Carl Jung was just icing on my intellectual cake and a new theory of the self was beginning to blossom in my peanut of a brain.

4. The 3 Rules of Writing Engaging Articles That Attract an Audience

Dayton Parks wants to inspire you. His style is simple yet full of suspense. Don’t miss this excellent story.

Dayton Parks has also written, “The 3 Rules of Writing Engaging Articles That Attract an Audience”. In this engaging story, he shares how he attracts readers and has them coming back to read more.

With Medium’s over 100 million readers, there are a lot of opportunities for writers to get published and attract readers. But just writing article after article without a human element won’t work. You need to write engaging articles that draw readers to you. And the strongest method of attracting readers is by creating an emotional connection.

3. 7 Powerful & Life-Changing Ways To Live Your Life With Intention

Cristo Lopez, Ph.D. is a dreamer, thinker, and excellent writer. Do read this fine story and don’t forget to check his other work.

Cristo Lopez has reached that time in his life when each day is a blessing to him, and every moment an opportunity to share blessings with others.

In his story 7 Powerful & Life-Changing Ways to Live Your Life With Intention, Cristo recalls lessons learned from Dr. Wayne Dyer. Cristo shares his interpretation of Dyer’s 7 Faces of Intention, and how each of us may achieve the happiness we seek, and how we may share that happiness with others.

For the first 20 or so years of my life, I believed that life was a series of events that happened to me.

I accepted that whatever good or bad came my way — whatever life had in store for me — the significant events of my life were molded and shaped more by happenstance and luck than anything else.

Then one night during my senior year of college, I retreated from the blaring stereos, the stench of stale beer and spilled bong water, to dive deep into the library’s stacks for some quiet and introspection.

2. My Father’s Death Taught Me What “Family” Means

Austin Harvey is trying his best to make sense of life. His writing voice is inspiring. He is an excellent writer and you should not forget to read his other work.

Austin Harvey explores the aftermath of the death of his father, a man he never knew. It is a thoughtful and somber piece about what love and family mean.

The funeral home was on a road I’d driven down a thousand times before. The auto shop where I took my car was only a few doors down. I parked in a metered spot and scanned my car for a quarter, only to realize that after 6pm I didn’t need to pay. Well, I thought. There goes my last excuse to drive away. I took a deep breath and removed my key from the ignition.

It was like floating, the slow ascent up the stairs. I don’t remember moving my legs. I had narrowly-focused tunnel vision, eyes fixed on the front door of the building. I didn’t recognize the woman standing in the doorway. Maybe I was in the wrong place.

1. How Early Reading Skills Contribute to a Child’s Development

Gayle Kurtzer-Meyers is a positive thinking freelance writer. She is a wonderful writer. If you read this story, you’ll probably check her other work and then you’ll become her lifelong fan.

Gayle thrives on intellect and spends extensive hours researching, interviewing, and documenting articles so that they stimulate and engage the minds of all readers. This article provides the reader with a heads-up revealing how vital reading is with young children’s expanding minds.

If you have young children or know of a young child, you certainly want to spend a few minutes reading this article.

Teaching your child how to read from an early age can be a challenge. Parenthood is overwhelming in itself, and it can be easy to lose sight of your child’s personal development in the process. However, research suggests that engaging with young children by reading, talking, and singing can stimulate cognitive development, bringing a host of benefits.

As per The American Academy of Pediatrics, children proficient in reading by the third grade are more likely to graduate high school and have a successful career. Unfortunately, 1 out of 3 children begins kindergarten without possessing the language skills required to read.

Final Thoughts

If your story was selected as one of the Top 10, please share another one of your stories in the comments with a brief introduction and a short review that can convince a reader to read your piece. (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. Dr Mehmet Yildiz, the Chief Editor and Founder of Illumination and Illumination-Curated, read, highlighted, and applauded every good story when he started his publications. He still reads almost all of the good ones. I try — and fail daily — to read all of the masterpieces.

Dr Mehmet Yildiz has kindly allowed our top 10 series a full shelf on the front page of Illumination-Curated and Illumination:

So, help me to find and rank the best work of the writers of Illumination and Illumination-Curated.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

To improve your odds of success as a writer, read these curation guidelines.

You can read my curated stories here.

Note: I have listed the suggested stories from all publications. But we generally prefer your stories published in Illumination and Illumination-Curated. Thanks.