Medium IS its Messages
Thanks to Linda Ng for this prompt
When I read, Medium is its content. When I write, Medium influences the subjects and contours of my stories. I’ve stepped gingerly into Marshall McLuhan's “medium is the message” territory for my title because of this scene from Woody Allen’s 1977 film Annie Hall.
A faux McLuhan scholar, I ain’t.
How did you start writing on Medium? A friend posted a message on Facebook about needing 100 readers to begin making money on this site. I began reading Medium stories and liked the content. That’s the point of the McLuhan twist in the title.
How long have you been writing on Medium? A little over one year.
What is your niche on Medium? This is Medium story 177. I begin most tales with something that happened to me or someone I know. Usually, it is a vignette. From that blossoms a beginning, middle, and end. Four Medium publications offer a good fit for my writing inclinations:
I’ve discovered that images get my creative juices flowing. Thanks to Six-Word. I’m 73 and hang out with other perennials, so Crow’s Feet was a natural. I like adding humor to engage the reader, hence Good Vibes. And the travel bug still bites.
Have you written a published book? I had a modest scholarship portfolio of articles, including book chapters. I’m thinking about a book of essays prompted by photographs. I’ve begun studying photography. Without Medium, that would not have happened.
What’s your greatest source of inspiration? Other writers, including those I’ve discovered on this site. Like Roz Warren, Writing Coach, who puts the reader in the scene at the start of her stories. The late William Zinsser’s On Writing Well is always close at hand.
And the world I experience. It’s bursting with tales that need a voice.
How has Medium impacted you? It provides readers and writers. And publication templates. I love having finished a writing project. Medium helps me along that path.
What’s your story with the highest reads? No other story comes close.
How much time do you spend writing each day? Two hours, 4 am — 6 am.
What is your publishing schedule? It takes me two writing sessions to complete a story. Occasionally, three. I send it off when it is finished. Linda didn’t ask, but I revise as I write.
How much have you earned? I’m not in the Partner Program.