Steal My System of Helpful Memes to Boost Your Stories

Image Reminders to Avoid Most Common Pitfalls

Writing is just a part of getting readers interested. My system of embedded reminders helps with successful publishing and growing an audience.

[Please scroll to the bottom so the writer gets credit for the read. If you prefer to listen to this piece, please leave the original work open to acknowledge the writer’s contribution. The author regrets the need for this commercial break.]

There’s more work to publishing than just writing.

My writing often starts out headed in one direction, transitions into some unrecognizable vehicle, loses all focus as it veers off and hits a rant-ramp, then finally gets centered back in its rightful lane.

Even while trying to be a writer, I’m still a systems person. No matter how hard I try to avoid them, I see systems. With great focus and determination, trying to leave well enough alone and just work with whatever tools exist, I still discover I’ve created new templates for doing things.

Fair warning: At the risk of turning into a snake eating its tail, or invoking a Never Ending Story scenario, I’ve included bad-writing examples throughout to demonstrate how and why I use my memes.

As a child who accidentally heard one too many bedtime stories, I made the announcement, “I’m going to be a writer when I grow up!” Now, decades later, I’m trying to be that grownup. But these damned system improvements keep stealing my focus.

Dreaming of becoming a writer reflected a desire to create original content. Fantastical stories transcend the here and now, transporting the reader to a truly magical place, limited only by their imagination. Engaging dramas that evoke emotions and make people really think about relationships. Maybe comedy will entertain the masses.

For many years, I worked on computer systems. I started as a programmer, became a systems analyst, project manager, business and accounting analyst, and eventually opened my own consulting business. During that time, I had to write software user guides, operations manuals, and business proposals, as well as lots of reports.

That wasn’t the kind of writer I’d dreamed of becoming. Sarcasm snuck into the user guides and operations manuals as I felt my creative energy being sucked out of my soul, being replaced by angry black and yellow bees.

Inserting big, bold pictures to remind me to clean up after myself wasn’t an option.

Now I’m compelled to write almost anything except purely technical.

But, I’ve got bad writing habits that need to be worked out.

Having reminders along the way allows me to regurgitate whatever my banana-eating horse brain feels like upchucking at the moment without feeling like I have to be too careful. With reminders like this, I have no excuse for not editing.

Another thing: I begin to write on a specific subject in a certain way but veer off in a different direction, repeatedly. Besides being a disorganized mess, the result demonstrates I can’t keep my own interest while writing. If I’m getting bored, the subject matter probably won’t earn the reader’s rapt attention either.

Or did I already mention that at the beginning? I need a reminder.

I used to get frustrated and write myself notes that I planned on deleting later. Except my eyes would be tired by the time I quit, and sometimes I’d miss removing those impolite little nudges.

Normal text reminders were supposed to assist me but became the bane of my existence:

Is this about writing, my crooked little brain, or systems? Is it supposed to be entertaining or instructional???

Can we maybe try being a little more focused?

Oh, so you’ve decided: Let the crap be vomited forth, then do this thing called “editing”.

NOOOO!!! I HATE editing!!!!

Then stop writing, you fool!

Do not forget to delete all this, okay? Mom thought you were crazy and did that “gotta call the prayer chain” concerned thing last time you left your train-of-consciousness babbling still embedded in a story. You REALLY don’t want to hear from all of them again do you? Plus, Mom deserves a break from their harsh judgement of her daughter.

I’m leaving out the obscene image representing my adult-self berating my childish self for being so obnoxious.

Is the poor punctuation starting to drive you crazy? Me too.

Red Smith, an American sports columnist is quoted as saying “Writing is easy. You just sit down at the typewriter and open a vein.”

That’s my problem. I bleed all over the place to the point that I can get fed up with the process and my piece, so I’d end up hitting “Publish” without adequately proofreading. Then, self-sabotaging remarks got left in.

If you decide to use something like this with graphic embeds, keep in mind that once you delete the reminders, you’ll be left with lots of chunks of words without breaks.

An example of meme inspiration

Living in Southern California (known for its 10–15 mph rush-hour traffic) without flexible hours, I anxiously tried to arrive on time for work before 8 every Monday through Friday. Without question or complaint, we had to stay until 5, which was ludicrous since leaving even a half hour earlier would reduce the commute time by almost 20 minutes. When I left at 5 along with a hundred thousand other drivers, the commute time would be about an hour, getting me to my daughter’s aftercare program (hopefully) by 6 pm. Leaving at 4:30 pm cut commuting time from one hour to 45 minutes, ensuring I wouldn’t invoke the wrath of an afterschool aide or make my daughter the traumatized and damaged little girl who was always the last one to be picked up. But for the Japanese managers running the Japanese company, compromise and employee considerations were out.”

Suggesting to a group of Japanese nationals who were lifelong devotees to their company and all its rules that commuting accommodations could be made was an insult.

In the 1980s, Japan was a democratically ruled country, but employee dedication was viewed as a cultural attribute and not a human rights violation.

What I was suggesting was akin to pure anarchy.

But wait. This sounds racist. I’m referencing old attitudes and rules that have likely changed.

No longer are Japanese employees suddenly notified of pending transfers to the US for two-year stints without their families.

Are they?

Some legitimate research is needed.

Check the corporate culture of large employers in Japan, then and now.

What are the expectations for employees working overseas, then and now?

What American companies operate in Japan, and how do they operate there?

If there are significant differences, are there other countries that still manage their workforces in America differently than US Federal and California labor laws mandate?

My curiosity knows no bounds. It can sneak in and pollute the waters.

The love affair I have with deep dives into other cultures and social constructs and… well… everything makes me think I should ask my doctor for medication to prevent the bends before embarking on my next project.

Eventually, I get to a point where I think:

a) It’s good enough,

b) I’m too sick of this to continue, or

c) Isn’t publishing something no one will read better than publishing nothing at all? (Um… no. It’s not.)

Hopefully, I finally start to feel that the writing is good enough, that I’ve stayed on topic, and that I haven’t made too many forays into fields of weeds or run out of oxygen during a deep dive.

Finally, I get to the reward.

Wait. There’s one last thing. I’ve forgotten to click those three little dots when rushing to the end-zone too many times. Then, I have to sneak back in post-publication to finish up.

I hope some of the ideas are useful in your own endeavors. Or, you found my inner angry editor amusing.

You’re free to download and use the images—they're all in jpg format and were created by me so I can attest to their safety (as is).

Thanks for reading!

Join Medium for a low $5 monthly fee, a small portion of which helps me continue this dream! @pmemphis5421/membership

I see systems. I’ve always been fascinated with patterns, logic, and social constructs. The trade-off has been a poorly functioning body.

As close as I come to technical writing these days:

If ChatGPT and other AI tools had personality, they’d be rude, but funny.