NEW Medium Challenge: 10(ish) Writing-Journey Questions for Medium Writers …I’ll Start

Did you do the ‘10 Things About Me’ Medium challenge like I did? Did you do it because it was a quick way to get a post out and it happened to come across your digital desk on a day where you smacked your brain bucket against the computer and not a damned thing fell out?

Despite my questionable motives for taking part, I actually enjoyed reading my friends’ challenge posts. I genuinely wanted to know more about my new circle of scribbling cohorts.

I learned their favorite colors, foods, and if they like cats or dogs better. Rather lacklustre information. Certainly nothing about what makes them tick. Like why they’re a writer, how they’re doing on Medium, which of their stories are the most meaningful and why. Well, if you can’t find what you’re looking for, create it. In that spirit I am creating a new challenge.

If you want to share more about yourself as a writer, and learn more about your circle of Medium friends’ writing journeys (and Medium journeys)— this is the one.

EDIT: This list has a questionable amount of questions, as pointed out by Medium’s own Top Writer in cuntery, Grimsby Hackney in his response to this challenge. He did a shit job at it that everyone should read.

Here are the questions:

1. What got your started writing — and how long have you been writing for?
2. Are you a professional or amateur writer?
3. What is your favorite article/story that you ever wrote?
4. Why did you join Medium — and is that why you’re still here?
5. What are your best other complementary-to-writing skills (photography, design, any other creative talents)?
6. What are your best Medium tips for newbies? Or, what Medium lessons did you learn the hard way?
7. What is one feature you wish Medium had?
8. What’s been your most successful story here on Medium — and were you surprised it did so well?
9. Who are your favorite writers that you follow on Medium (and why)?
10. What are you most proud of about yourself here on Medium (views, followers, read ratio, friends you’ve developed, a publication you developed, etc.)?

And here is me — questioning and answering myself, like a lonely parrot…

1. What got your started writing — and how long have you been writing for? I took Print Journalism in college, then went onto university for Political Science — I wanted to be a globe-trotting journalist. This was back in the early 2000s unfortunately and writers were losing their jobs as networks shrank faster than a teenage girl with juicy gossip will spill ‘the tea’. The world was moving online, but it wasn’t sure how to monetize it yet. I didn’t survive the free-for-all battle and got a job in tech. A few years later I decided to travel extensively and paid for it by writing (often about tech). I’ve been writing professionally ever since.
2. Are you a professional or amateur writer? Oops, just answered this. I am a professional writer. I keep trying to leave it with new ventures (first there was web design, then attempting video and a smattering of other creative offshoots). But I keep coming back. Partially because I love it…partially because I’m good at it…partially because it has spoiled me with the at-home work-whenever-the-heck-I-want lifestyle.
3. What is your favorite article/story that you ever wrote? I have written so many articles that honestly when I wrote this question I thought it would be much more of a deep dive. It wasn’t. It was one I was paid to write about the most influential people in the animation field. This sonnamabitch took forever. The research was absolutely insane and endless — and at the time I hated it. It’s still my favorite. https://www.animationcareerreview.com/articles/top-100-most-influential-people-animation
4. Why did you join Medium — and is that why you’re still here? I saw a Zulie Rane video on Youtube. I have no idea how that made it into my algorithm but it was her love of the platform that got me to check it out. It was infectious, and I have officially turned septic — sick with the Medium bug. She said it’s a tribe of people, and I found my tribe. Which is good, because I also came for the goldrush Medium riches, which are long gone and this is officially the lowest I have EVER been paid as a writer. And I couldn’t give a rats arse.
5. What are your best other complementary-to-writing skills? When I wrote this question out, I thought I would write web design, graphic design, image manipulation and video creation/editing skills for this question. But the more my brain machinates, honestly, I think it’s my ability to keep my mouth shut while clients cannibalize my brilliant work and simplify it into corporate blah-blah. Or, my sense of humour (that I really only get to use on here). Or perhaps it is the fact that I can sell myself to pretty much any client like the true writing hussy I am.
6. What are your best Medium tips for newbies? Or, what Medium lessons did you learn the hard way? Produce more content than I do, write sentences of varied lengths (especially short ones), find interesting images, use the image captions to write something funny, and don’t be afraid of humor and cussing (not many chances for that in professional fucking writing).
7. What is one feature you wish Medium had? If you’re like me, old as Methuselah, you’ll remember Clippy. Clippy was Microsoft’s animated office assistant. His persistent-yet-adorable little metal butt would pop up with tips and tricks. I think Medium needs a Clippy. Little helpful hints, tips and reminders. Like, “Hey, I see you have long, impenetrable paragraph blocks — consider fixing that”. I’d love one that is like Red Forman (the grouchy dad from That 70s Show), “your paragraphs are too long….dumb ass”. “Hey dumbass, I see you’re still clicking a ton of buttons to insert a picture, just copy and paste it like a smart person would”.

8. What’s been your most successful story on here — and were you surprised it did so well? It was “4 Ways to Make Money Writing for Newbies”. I’m not surprised, because I wrote it knowing that so many Medium users are earning money by writing about how to earn money on Medium. It got more than 5 times the views of my normal posts. I need to think of at least a few more ideas — just so I can have personal stats when I write one about this pyramid scheme.

9. Who are your favorite writers that you follow on Medium (and why)? I adore Jason Provencio, he’s weird, hilarious and writes on random topics. His buddy Rusty Shackleford is also hilarious, he’s newish (like me) but his stuff cracks me up. Zulie Rane, she got me here and I love her, and since most of you know her already I’ll shut up. Kristina God because she teaches about the Medium platform and I’m still figuring it all out. Gareth Willey who I find very interesting but don’t know why.

10. What are you most proud of about yourself here on Medium (views, followers, read ratio, friends you’ve developed, a publication you developed, etc.)? My answer at the moment isn’t very upbeat, or special. I was clearly feeling more optimistic in writing than answering this question. But here it is: I’m still here. I haven’t had any successful articles, very few people read my articles, and only have one friend really (my favorite little Rusty Barnacle). And to top it off I lost momentum after having yet another knockout round with my medical issues, then immediately after I got COVID. But, I’m still here. So there’s that.

You’re still reading? Yay me! I’ve kept you this far. I’m either impressed by my skills or horrified at your lack of better things to do than listen to me drone on.

Either way — TAG, you’re it.

Write a post answering the questions above. Then tag me; I need more friends.