Meet Yana: Let Me Reintroduce Myself

Anatomy of My Acronym

This is in response to Play the Name Game — AKA — Anatomy of an Acronym initiated by the one and only Toni The Talker. The mission is to deconstruct the letters in your first name to give readers an idea of who you are and also why you write.

WHO am I?

As you may or may not know, my first name is Juliyana — Yana for short. Introducing myself as a Boston-based blogger sounds pretty fancy so I will go with that even though it is just a hobby for now. In my other life, my academic background is in analyzing data.

If you noticed the image above, you’ll see that I have tried my best to decode my acronym in relation to my personality which is the first step of the game.

Let’s dive into the juicy deets aka the Q&A part of the challenge!

WHAT genre(s) do you focus on?

I write a lot about life and relationships. It did not start out that way though but gradually evolved based on what I enjoy writing and what seems to resonate with the audience the most.

Also, almost everything I write, except for the informational pieces, are snippets from my life.

For example, I frequently struggle with anxiety, especially in the context of romantic relationships. It is not easy being vulnerable about such things and putting them in writing out there for the world to read and judge. However, that does not deter me in the least, and am happy to say that this is one of my stories that received the Medium boost:

WHEN did you start writing?

I started writing 2 years ago based on the suggestion of a friend from my mental health support group. She thought I am able to articulate my emotions rather well and felt I would make a good writer.

I had heard about Medium, so I decided to give it a go. I am so glad I did.

Everything I have learned about writing, I have gleaned from reading and observing other writers on this platform. Having said that, I would say it would have been an uphill battle for a non-native speaker like me if not for the fact that I have always been a voracious reader.

I have noticed that a lot of people write without speaking the language of their audience. From a blogging perspective, I have found that if your audience is primarily based in the US, then you have to be fluent in Amerispeak.

Writing in an English dialect that is common in your neck of the woods may not be as relatable.

WHERE are you located in the real world?

42.3601° N, 71.0589° W

I have lived on 3 different continents and speak a variety of languages. I would see that each country I have lived in has left a lasting impact on me.

I don’t like talking about my race or ethnicity because there are not many pleasant memories associated with those two. For example, imagine growing up in apartheid South Africa and being relentlessly bullied for being neither white nor black. I had to be homeschooled and packed off to boarding school when I was older because there were no schools nearby that catered to people of my skin color.

HOW do you create? Explain your creation process.

It may sound cliche but it always starts with an idea. I don’t spend much time and neither do I have the time to outline and ponder over an article. I start writing and it goes from there.

In other words, I just do it.

Oftentimes I am surprised by the direction it takes and the lessons I learn from my own experiences. I guess that is what makes the whole process so enjoyable to me — the whole self-discovery thing through writing.

It is interesting that another writer recently asked me how much of my stories are fiction or real. I have also been called a mob pleaser because I have no qualms in saying that I keep my readers in mind when I write.

I think both are completely missing the point. I am a blogger and a storyteller.

Being a good blogger alone cannot hold the attention of your audience.

For example, let’s say I am getting my nails done. I can say I had a manicure today. Yawn-ish if you ask me.

What is so special about a routine manicure that is worth a reader’s valuable time?

Well, to make it worth reading about I can segue into it as a form of self-care after having a rough day at work or a tiff with the boyfriend. There is an enticing, emotionally rich story in that and also, it touches on a current hot topic — self-care.

Or, I can take it to another level and let my imagination run wild. I can say while I was getting my nails painted fire engine red, I was thinking of you and what I was going to do to you tonight — trace my fingers from your neck all the way down followed by light, feathery kisses and a lick…mmm.

As I said, the possibilities are endless if you are bold enough to think outside the box.

WHY did you choose to write on Medium? WHY do you continue to write on this platform?

I had heard about Medium from a friend and so it is the first platform I published on. I have since tried out different platforms with varying results. On one, I’ve had exceptional results while the rest were duds.

Medium continues to be my first love. One of the main reasons is the supportive community here. I spend most of my free time reading, clapping, editing, and engaging with other writers. Not because I have to but because I want to.

If someone were to ask me what is my biggest strength as a blogger, I wouldn’t say it is talent or marketing prowess, but it is the Medium community for which I am always grateful.

If you’d like to join the fun, here is the original article by Toni: