HUMOR|WRITING|GROWTH

Here For Outstanding Responses To Stories That May Have Been A Bit Controversial

Reading some people’s responses are enlightening as well as hilarious and, at times, a mixture of both

Over the past few days, I’ve written and have read some rather remarkable responses to stories that I’d like to share with you.

They will be shared in the order in which I came across them.

Let’s start with a story that I did NOT think would garner much attention!

It was my first “rant” and the responses have been enlightening as well as funny.

Here’s one by Victoria Suzanne who might have confused messiness with being dirty. They’re not the same to me.

Her response to my story:

Okay, but why on earth would it bother you if my house is messy? I'm not inviting you over to tea.

My response to her:

A messy home is distracting to me and trust me! I've had a messy home PLENTY of times. It's still distracting and makes me think of cleaning up my mess every time I see it. If I had guests, I cleaned up my mess or contained in my bedroom where they weren't. Oftentimes I met up with people for tea or to eat, that way I don't have to concern myself with the state of my home nor do I have to clean up afterward. I'm much more comfortable with messy, especially with friends who have children, than I am with dirt and grime. I do not want to have tea, or anything, in a place where I can't trust whether or not the dishes are really clean.

And Anthony Pretlow’s response to her:

She is bothered by moving in behind someone whose cleaning standards were not up to par. Living messy is a choice. It's not a popularity contest.

Reverend Andy had QUITE the story to share of his own account along these lines that was WAY worse than my experience:

I can top that! The house I recently purchased was a pot farm out of which the last tenants dealt drugs. To get the stench out it has taken repainting everything, replacing all window shades, and $500 to have a service clean all of the air ducts. The bathroom and kitchen are so bad I’m going to be tearing them out and replacing everything from floor to ceiling. Some humans can be pigs!

I get asked all the time, “Why in the world did you buy it then.”

Answer: “California real estate is _____” (fill in blank)

The neighborhood is great and the neighbors are happy to have me in and the drug dealers out, which is something.

Let’s move on to Perri Michelle’s story, to which I am sure many new writers can relate:

The writers

Listen, I get it. Everyone is trying to make a living, and stories about how to write seem to get the most views and engagement, therefore making the most earnings. So it’s no surprise that many smart writers have decided to write about writing. But for all those writers, I have a few questions that I feel the need to ask:

I’d just written and published a story about my December stats and earnings and knew that Perri Michelle wasn’t “attacking” me. She had some sincere questions that I was happy to answer, so I did.

Perhaps you will find her story and our responses to it useful as well.

My Response:

Money is far from the only reason I write. HOWEVER, one of the top reasons I write so much on Medium (responses included) is because it is my sole source of income these days. That being said, I like reading articles about how to make money online, including Medium, and how to write, or more so, how to format or use tools on Medium (like a kicker, using tags, etc) that will increase my levels of engagement. I've written around 3 stories about writing on Medium and one about writing in general and 3 other stories about making money on Medium because I wanted to share my personal experiences since I like reading and seeing other people's on this topic. These stories are NOT my top earners though. My top earning stories (since I joined the MPP and started writing daily September 23, 2021) have been about race, class and self-esteem/empowerment. Fort this, I am very happy. I write because I absolutely love it (thus this long response). It's like breathing for me. To be able to earn income from my writing has been a game-changer for me and motivates me to write e-books in the future to promote on this space as well. I've tons of ideas but only so much time to bring them to fruition, including a newsletter for my new publications. It's hard to keep up with it all. There's a lot of artistic freedom here on Medium. If you don't want to read or see so many articles about making money on Medium, I recommend adjusting your "recommendations" setting and never clicking on those articles. If you open them, the algorithm will keep showing you articles like that. I also highly recommend having a list of the writers who write stories that you enjoy reading and making the time to read their work and comment on them on a regular basis. Reading, clapping and responding on other people's stories helps you earn money on Medium as well. It's all a win/win to me. I care less about my stats these days because luck and timing is a huge factor on Medium as well and I find that to be more exciting than frustrating. My visa should be processed soon and hopefully I can work in Germany within the next few months which will make it much harder for me to spend the 1-3 hours a day that I've spend on Medium. There are so many stories that I genuinely enjoy reading every day. Like many things, it is what you make it- in my opinion. However, I can and do understand your perspective and hope that you do stick around and find your community/place here because I do think it can be a wonderful experience and place for writers who love to read and write.

Her response (which I love):

Thank you for all your support, here and always! I really wrote this because I wanted to hear what other writers think, and you’ve provided so much helpful feedback! I’m so glad your top earning stories are not click bait or writing articles , because it gives me hope that I can continue writing about what I love and still reach lots of people. And your advice about recommendations and clicking on articles makes so much sense. I knew I should blame the algorithm! Or perhaps myself for falling for the click bait when I first signed up. Oops. At least there’s an easy fix! Lastly, just to clarify, I didn’t mean to criticize everyone who writes these articles on occasion, and for the actual purpose of helping others. In fact, I originally tagged you in the article, rather than just mentioning your publication, but since it’s a bit controversial, I decided against it. But seriously, thank you for creating the publication and all the support you provide new writers! I will definitely be sticking around!

Last, but far from least, Vytas Stoskus left a response to the following article that I found so intriguing that I’ve decided to do some research based on it.

His response:

Dear KL, That recorded talk has barely a mild trace of a Southern accent. I lived in the Deep South for 20 years, & I know. Hell, I lived next door to Newt Gingrich while in grad school. Small college town Georgia — that is Southern!.

Yes, it is hard with all the conditioning we have had to refrain from considering an accent as indicative of intelligence. I deal with that constantly having lived in Eastern Europe since the mid-1990s. I prefer talking with what remains of my American accent when I speak Lithuanian rather than listening to Lithuanians speak English.

The accustomed is comfortable, so living in Australia or the UK would probably drive me bonkers. I can no longer even understand what is spoken in movies made by Scots or Irish. It came easier when I was younger, but I guess even our ears get accustomed to their ways in old age.

The responses to that story vary and have been rolling in slowly, but consistently, since I published it over 2 months ago.

Here’s one of my favorites from Beeville Anonymous:

As a Texan I'd suggest you go to Brooklyn and listen to the local foul-mouths who make that borough famous. At least Southerners don't see profanity as a feature. Not bustin' yer balls or fuckin' nuttin.

That’s all folks!

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