Editor’s Picks — Top 10:

How To Reinvigorate Your Passion for the Writing Craft

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

It’s easy to forget why you wanted to be a writer. Even sex, if it becomes a daily obligation, loses the element of fun. Writing becomes a chore if you don’t remember why you love writing.

Why do you like to write? Think about it for a minute.

For me, the answer is easy. I can feel how words affect me. Words can make me fresh, happy, and excited. I want to read everything — from Michael Crichton to Steven Pinker, from Arundhati Roy to Bruce Lipton. When I write, I feel at home.

Toni Morrison wrote her first novel because she wanted to read it. “If there is a book that you want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, you must be the one to write it,” she declared.

“All writers are vain, selfish, and lazy, and at the very bottom of their motives there lies a mystery.” ~ George Orwell in Why I Write

Joan Didion said, “I write entirely to find out what I’m thinking, what I’m looking at, what I see and what it means. What I want and what I fear.” Lord Byron had a different reason: “If I don’t write to empty my mind, I go mad.” Stephen King loves the craft. Why? “It’s about getting up, getting well, and getting over. Getting happy, okay? Getting happy.”

If you want to be a full-time, professional writer, don’t let yourself forget why you love to write — what makes you want to do the thing in the first place.

Writing well is a side effect of maintaining your passion. Warren Buffett guarantees this, “You have to love something to do well at it.”

If you ever feel frustrated by your work as a writer, take a minute to relearn your love for writing. Write a personal journal entry about why you are feeling overwhelmed. Write a short piece that’s for your eyes only.

Julia Cameron calls these personal pieces the morning pages in her book. She wants you to know that these morning pages are a writer’s best tool. And why you should make a habit of writing things that are not for publishing.

To begin at the beginning, I am always asked, “Julia, must the Morning Pages be done in the morning?” “Yes,” I explain. “You are trying to catch yourself before your ego’s defenses are in place. You want to catch yourself as close to waking as you can.” ~ Julia Cameron

What is the best way to reinvigorate your passion for writing? It is taking a break to reconnect with your love of writing. Your personal pieces can act as a writing break. You can go for a walk, or read, or you can do nothing.

Doing nothing is a part of being a writer. You can just sit for hours if you wish. Writers are allowed to be a bit weird. If you can’t write, don’t write. As Hemingway said, “You shouldn’t write if you can’t write.”

These breaks will reinvigorate your passion for the craft. Everybody has to tell themselves why they are doing something. And how they can continue doing it in the future:

I would stand and look out over the roofs of Paris and think, “Do not worry. You have always written before and you will write now.”~ Ernest Hemingway

Here is a list of our top 10 stories today — by writers who are constantly rediscovering their love of writing:

10. What Is An “Influencer” And How Do They Create An Income?

Rhys McIntyre is a professional content creator and editor.

The online influencer community is one that has grown exponentially since the dawn of social media. Millions upon millions of accounts have been created in hopes that their tiny plot of digital land can produce an income.

Have you ever come across someone’s social media page to find a perfectly curated life. It looks like all they do for a living is look good and take pictures of it. WHAT DRUGS ARE THESE PEOPLE ON?

9. How the Anchoring Effect Works in Business and the Workplace

Naouress Akrouti writes business blog articles. She helps people speak up. She is a forensic linguist, language & communication coach.

She is a fine writer. Her writing style is informative, engaging, and thought-provoking. Do check her other work.

Not everyone is a manipulator, but manipulation does exist. Now we don’t want to draw the work environment as a pure hostile picture where you cannot relax and get your work done.

Being aware of how things work can be an eye-opener that prevents you from being an easy prey to manipulators.

8. 7 Tips for Effectively Dealing with a Bully at Work

Audrey Malone writes about self-improvement, healthy living, relationships, psychology, science, poetry, writing, and resumes.

She is a fine writer. Her writing style is personal, honest, and very engaging. Don’t forget to check her other work.

I have on a few occasions and I’ve had to handle each workplace bully differently.

For example, I used to work in the corporate offices of a prominent global corporation, and my manager was this woman who for whatever reason seemed to not like me from the very start.

7. 5 Tips From The Stoics To Remain Calm While Working

João V Souza helps entrepreneurs build healthy organizations.

He is a superb writer. His writing style is easy to read, honest, and extremely engaging. I have selected many of his stories. Do check his other work.

It was a day like any other day when I noticed some players complaining about our games being offline. My first company developed online games, and they should be running 24/7. Players want to play whenever they want. Any minute offline is money that we are losing. We should be cautious with our servers.

At first, I didn’t understand what was happening, and then I went to check. It was true. All of our games were offline. I talked to our technical leader, and he told me that he forgot to pay an annual fee necessary to keep the servers running. What do you do?

6. The Magic Mushrooms Experience: An Interview With a User

Viktor Marchev reads his own stories out loud. He is interested in everything related to psychedelics, mental health, and self-improvement.

He is an excellent writer. His writing style is informative, direct, and engaging. Many of his pieces have gone viral in the past. Do check his work if you are interested in knowing more about psychedelics.

Magic Mushrooms and their active ingredient psilocybin have recently fallen under the radar of scholars and researchers — and no wonder. Psychedelics, in general, now seem to gradually enter the mainstream, as more and more celebrities are starting to reveal their encounters with mind-altering substances, such as LSD, DMT, psilocybin, and ayahuasca.

Scientists have also contributed to all of the fuss as well — an increasing number of papers are now being produced on the matter, which has triggered additional interest in the wide public. It seems that the previous general view, about how psychedelics have ill effects both on your body and mind, seems to be shifting.

5. My Son and I Climbed Japan’s Mount Fuji together

Terry Mansfield is always trying to be the best writer he can be. He is a specialist in eclecticism. He is a retired corporate executive and a retired military officer.

He is an outstanding writer. His writing style is honest, informative, and very engaging. Don’t miss this masterpiece.

We made our climb in early September because climbing Mt. Fuji in the winter is treacherous, and climbing in the dead of summer is just too hot and humid.

There are various stations set up along the way. Most people start their climb at Station 5 because it provides easy access for buses and cars. In 1972, I was stationed with the Army at Camp Zama, accompanied by my family. Each year the Camp Zama Morale and Recreation Office scheduled a trip to Mt. Fuji. Our bus departed very early in the morning, and we arrived at Station 5 around 9 a.m.

4. Periods Aren’t Blue!

Deborah Weir is unnervingly passionate about the minutiae of life. She is a mom, choreographer, and has 2 degrees that she doesn’t use anymore.

She is a superb writer. Her writing style is witty, honest, and engaging. If you are hooked by the headline, swallow it.

There is a problem in the marketing world, or, dare I suggest, society in general. Certain products have made marketers uneasy for decades and it’s about time someone did something about it. Well, someone did, but I’ll get to that in a minute.

Now, for some groundbreaking information: PERIODS AREN’T BLUE!

3. How to Write Your First Four-figure Article

Mario López-Goicoechea is a London-based Cuban writer. He is the author of “Cuban, Immigrant, and Londoner”, to be published by Austin Macauley. He has written for The Guardian and Prospect.

He is an exceptional writer. His writing style is informative, witty, and very engaging. Do check his other work.

I’ve been on Medium since at least 2016. As a seasoned writer on this platform, I’d like to share some of my expertise, especially with those who are new to this online publication.

Harking back to the times when claps were the way to earn a pretty penny around here (and if that doesn’t make me a veteran, I don’t know what will), I have seen enough changes on Medium to convince myself that the way to achieve your first four-figure article is… by not attempting to write a four-figure article.

2. The Pain Of Valentine’s Day For A Black Girl In A White World

Rebecca Stevens A. writes about racism. “But there are so many other things I would like to write about instead. Help me dismantle racism so that I can get to that.”

She is a global nomad-Sierra Leone-Switzerland-Canada-Sociologist-Philosopher-Writer-Swimmer-Paraglider-Dog lover-Passionate-Kind-Impatient Optimist-Pro-Democracy-Brave.

She is an extraordinary writer. Follow her. Read her. Wait for her next story.

1. 9 Ways to Be a Better Spouse

At number one, it is Jessica Lynn. She is an entrepreneur and a writer. She cares about helping others learn to live a better, healthier life.

She is an extraordinary writer. Her writing style is elegant, honest, witty, insightful, and extremely engaging. She has around 9000 followers. Do check her other work.

There aren’t many married couples I look to and say, “Wow! I can’t wait to get married again.” If pressed, I can think of two marrieds who inspire me to possibly speak those two little words someday. So many couples have that cheerless vibe that makes me want to run in the other direction from taking those vows and live out the rest of my life decidedly unmarried.

If I were to get married again, here are the things I’d do better.

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.

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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.