Summary

Katie Michaelson discusses her positive experience with adopting a daily routine of writing concise short-form posts, which has improved her writing skills, discipline, and engagement with readers.

Abstract

Katie Michaelson, a writer known for her verbose style, has embraced the challenge of publishing daily short-form posts on Medium. She shares how this practice has revolutionized her writing process. By limiting herself to 150 words, she has found joy in editing and has seen significant improvements in clarity, brevity, and punctuation. The ease of writing and editing short posts has alleviated the pressure of writing longer pieces and has allowed her to be more disciplined and focused. This approach has not only made writing more manageable and less overwhelming but has also catered to the changing reading habits of her audience. With more people reading on their phones, short-form posts suit the busy, distraction-filled lives of modern readers. Michaelson believes that publishing daily, despite imperfections, is crucial for growth as a writer, and the immediate feedback from her audience is invaluable.

Opinions

Michaelson views her previous writing style as too wordy and in need of refinement.
She finds writing short-form posts easier to edit and less time-consuming compared to long-form writing.
Michaelson believes that the constraint of a 150-word limit has made her a more disciplined writer, teaching her to eliminate unnecessary words.
She observes that her writing has improved because short-form posts force her to be clear and concise.
Publishing daily short-form posts has taken the pressure off writing longer pieces and has made the process more enjoyable.
She values the exposure that comes with publishing regularly and the opportunity to learn from each post.
Michaelson appreciates the immediate reinforcement of writing rules that comes with the short-form format.
She acknowledges that writing for an audience on the go, often reading on their phones, is a reality of modern writing.
Michaelson emphasizes the importance of respecting and valuing readers, as their engagement is what matters most.
The discipline of daily posting has given her the freedom to be more creative and playful in her writing

I’m Posting Daily — and So Happy!

How I publish every day and improve my writing at the same time.

I’m one of those wordy writers. I can sit down and write 3,000 words on just about anything. It’s like putting out too many decorations at Christmas time. Makes ya want to puke when you see it.

A lot of the words I write don’t go together. I ramble.

And I can’t spell. And I make a lot of typos, so editing is a chore. I’ve tried to write a post a day. No, I wrote a post a day. They languish in drafts. Editing, cutting, and did I say cutting, ya, time-consuming.

One day I wrote a short-form post to have a cuppa with readers in my word garden. Wish they could all stop by for real.

I read the short-form guidelines and articles and found them a bit — a bit, ya. I have friends who have started writing on Medium and they’re asking questions. So I decided the instructions for short-form posts were too wordy. I understand wordy. It’s my gift.

So I wrote short-form posts on writing short-form posts. And this is what I discovered:

It’s easy to write and edit 150 words. I do it in the morning with coffee.
I can write without cluttering up my draft’s stash.
People read them.
My writing is getting better because a brief post has to be clear.
I know I’ll get better because I learn and gain confidence with each post.
Tackling so few words is not overwhelming.
The 150-word limit has taught me to eliminate redundant words.
I’m learning to follow punctuation rules. These little marks help me condense my words. I’ll get better thanks to short-form’s immediate reinforcement.
When I publish something with a boo-boo, I quickly notice and edit it out.
It makes me happy to achieve my goal of posting every day.

How writing short posts helps me with my long posts.

First, writing short posts has taken the pressure off. I set the daily posting goal because I want to learn to be a writer. I want to create beautiful streams of words someday. I need to write.

Second, hitting publish exposes me to the world as a writer. Flaws and all, I’m out there.

Third, I feel free to create. I met my goal so now I can play. Enhanced creativity comes with play. Setting goals increases productivity, but another word for productivity is work. Play is more fun than work. Have you noticed?

Fourth, being a rambler by nature, the discipline of the 150-word post helps me focus. I’ve been told I’m a delightful rambler but on paper aka electronic device, it’s not so entertaining. Perhaps someday they’ll design a computer with flapping hands and arms and also makes rubbery, Jim Carey faces; one that emits pleasant fragrances and soft warm fuzzy feelings. Until then, rambling doesn’t cut it.

How short-form posts are sensitive to the needs of today’s readers.

I love books and so do most readers, but times have changed. People are reading more on their phones.

People are reading in spurts as they take mass transit.
Things read differently on the phone.
Distractions occur more frequently when reading on the phone.

To write for the modern reader, I have to respect their busy schedule

There are many reasons we write. Since I started, I’ve discovered it’s a blast. I’m having fun. It could be because I’ve been locked in my home for a year now. Who knows?

Whatever draws us to writing, our reader is what’s most important. Being sensitive to our readers shows we value them.

I get tickled pink when someone likes something I wrote. I’ll write for that one person. And I’ll appreciate and respect that person.

Publishing daily short-form posts is one way I’m giving back to my readers. And the gift to me is I’m becoming a better writer.

WRITTEN BY Katie Michaelson I tend plants and people from my 120-year-old home and small garden. I see strength in the injured spirit and find significance in the insignificant.