Running out of ideas for stories?

How to Steal Ideas Like a Medium Pro

Everyone steals and so should you.

Non-members can read for free here.

Have You Been Paying Close Enough Attention?

Every writer, knowingly or unknowingly, indulges in borrowing ideas.

Everyone “steals”. Nothing is completely original — and that’s okay.

Let’s clarify what we mean by ‘stealing’.

I’m not talking about copying and pasting someone else’s work as your own. That’s plagiarism, and it’s a big no-no.

Artists steal in a more refined way.

They draw inspiration from the ideas of others and transform them into something uniquely their own.

Stealing is the essence of writing. And when done right — it can elevate both the borrower and the original creator.

Everything is a copy of a copy of a copy.

Take a look at this example

Daniel T. posted his story titled “How I Never Run Out Of Ideas For My Medium Stories?”

Then Bin Jiang published his story titled “Are You Out of Ideas?” a few hours later!

Look how Bin Jiang borrows with grace — check the first line of his article.

Does this borrowing throw you off?

Or does it make you respect both writers?

Another example.

A couple of weeks ago, I stole an idea from Charlie J 🕊️ — her story was doing great so I structured mine similarly.

The post I made had great success as well.

Borrowing ideas is the highway to success.

How to Steal Like a Pro

Art is stealing, and stealing is an art.

1. Steal the Most Expensive Jewels

What do you find valuable on Medium?

Recognize what stories are pulling your attention as a reader.

Then write articles about the thing that draws you to read!

2. Make your Signature

Study successful writers. Check their most viral stories.

Pay attention to the structure, the tone, and the length of the article.

Enrich the borrowed idea with your personal experience or a fresh angle.

3. Share the Loot

Acknowledge where your inspiration came from.

It adds credibility to your work and fosters a sense of community and mutual growth among writers.

A simple mention or a link to an article can go a long way.

That’s it.

Steal passionately and creatively.

That’s the mark of a true artist.

PS: Make sure to check out the writers mentioned!

Thank you for reading! I hope my post resonated with you on some level.

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