Adventures in Medium

How Violent Competition Can Fire Your Creative Juices!

How bitter rivalry can inspire your writing

One of my best friends on here is maverick Medium entrepreneur Smillew Rahcuef.

I keep calling him Maverick Medium Entrepreneur (or MEE) because like the Maverick character in Top Gun, he never gives up, despite the unbelievable odds stacked against him.

Not only does he fly fighter planes in his spare time, but writes and can also take a joke.

Over the past few months, there’s been various articles written addressing why writers can be so nasty to each other. This was Smillew’s contribution.

Another piece on the subject, written by happy guy Mark Suroviec, M.Ed., went further, and actually named and shamed me in his piece.

This, in turn, was a response to a piece that I’d written in which I’d criticized myself for writing pieces about Medium.

And on it went, with people chipping in with their two cents’ worth, arguing how rivalry and competition — and general nastiness—can be good for your writing.

I couldn’t agree more.

As a sports fan and ex-cross country runner, nothing gets my juices flowing more than fierce competition. When I used to run competitively, there was nothing better than clipping the heels of a fellow runner and watch him fall heavily to the ground.

“Oh, sorry old chap, didn’t see you there.”

I’ve always wanted to bring this same competitive spirit to Medium, so I was delighted yesterday when, by chance, me and Smillew had two pieces published one after the other on the hilarious Doctor Funny comedy site.

Not only did this give me the opportunity to criticize his work once again, but put us head-to-head for the first time, in a kind of literary arms race to see who is the BEST.

Both our pieces were three minutes long. This was Smillew’s.

This was mine.

Six hours after publication, I checked the stats. Here they are.

Don’t you think it’s great? Two great writers neck and neck. Going for it hammer and tongs to see who’ll claim that glorious prize of reaching 100 views first.

We’re minor league, of course, but it’s still scintillating stuff, and I can see a sports commentator putting a generous slant on our endeavors. Something like:

“While these two jerks are still knocking balls around in the lower leagues, it’s only time before they start playing with the big boys!”

And I’m determined to get there first, which is why I’m going to start employing the same tactics I used running. Clipping the heels of my esteemed rival from behind. Watch him fall on his ass — or nicely groomed belly button — like the runners I used to humiliate on the running track.

Hopefully, within a few months, Smillew will be cleaning my boots on the Top Gun runway, while I soar high into the sky to battle with all those evil nasty writers on Medium like Tim “Denno” Denning who take all our money.

Then, when I come down, I’ll throw Smillew a dollar, and say “Thanks, pal, it was a blast!”

Thanks for reading, for more Smillew, check out his stupid page here.