If Medium Were Dinner

Probably a fair comparison

I was thinking about going to collect my weekly shopping when the idea of Medium being like a home cooked meal sprang into my head.

Of all the random things that I could have thought, this one actually made perfect sense to me immediately.

Writing for Medium has similar elements to home cooking a meal.

Stick with me on this one. I assure you it will make sense when you put it all together.

Preparing a Medium meal

When I wonder what to cook each night, I first have to consider who will be home to enjoy my efforts. If it is a niche audience (i.e. just me!) then I can easily knock out something quick and tasty, without overly fussing.

The same applies to Medium. If I am writing a poem, for example, then I am writing for myself and the lovely readers who happily read one of my poems (very few but a much appreciated bunch).

Poetry is something I enjoy and find easy to write. In meal terms it could be compared to a tin of ravioli. Straight in the pan, simmering for five minutes then scoffed down with a fizzy drink.

Tinned ravioli may not be for everyone but it makes for a satisfying quickie.

If I have guests over and there are several different mouths to feed, then I have to really do my homework. Vegans, vegetarians, gluten-free and meat eating customers altogether might mean a bit of head scratching before I can even get started.

This is much like on Medium, where I have to do a bit of research to write a more complex article. Perhaps one about education, technology or society.

These deeper articles usually come when I have more time to write or when I am particularly wound up about something.

For instance, the other day I was moaning about how technology is sometimes getting on my nerves and the following piece was written, with a bit of fact checking necessary as I went along:

A three course meal is like a complicated, thought-provoking Medium article. The starter is usually simple, as in the idea itself. A basic bruschetta or prawn cocktail. Perhaps even a calamari.

The middle is more sophisticated, with options such as beef, chicken or nut roast. In Medium terms, my middle part tends to include suggestions or bullet points.

Bullet points are like menu options. You can read them all in order or home in right away on the one you really fancy.

‘Time for dessert,’ I hear them say.

Wrapping up a Medium post is about reading it through, checking for spelling mistakes and writing an interactive ending.

Like a steamed pudding or vanilla cheesecake, the last part should be straight forward, satisfying and full of sugar.

Final Thoughts

I definitely believe that cooking a meal is much like writing a Medium article. You need to know your audience, follow the recipe and enjoy the fruits of your labour.

A good article is like a well prepared meal. It should be the right temperature, geared towards the right audience and leave a fulfilling taste in the mouth for hours to come.

Hopefully it won’t lead to garlic breath or indigestion.

What would you compare Medium writing to?