Thank You for Tagging Me! Real Answers To How I Write On Medium

I was tagged for 10 thought provoking questions, so here it goes😀

Here are my 10 answers to “How I Write On Medium”, shout out to Shanté Nixon for tagging me in this post, and because I like her style of art + writing, I will try to mimic that a tiny bit here!

1. Do you follow a routine every day for writing on Medium?

I did when I first started writing for Medium. I wrote a few times a week and now, I write whenever the moment strikes or when I recall a deep conversation about a topic I am curious about.

Due to full time work, I can only outline and notate on certain days before compiling the full article.

2. Do you choose a title before or after writing a story?

Always before!

Well…sometimes.

After a deep conversation in my support group or with family, I try to figure out more, but by then I already have an idea of what the title should be.

Other times, I brainstorm topics and titles.

3. How long do you spend thinking of a title?

I spend little time.

For deeper topics, I spend an awful lot of time, and so many rewrites of a title can be draining.

4. Do you choose your main photo before or after writing?

Only after writing does a concept for an image come to mind. I play on Canva and Starryai often, so I have folders of images to use, and for certain topics I can remix them or make fresh images.

5. If you’re writing a story about yourself, do you try to choose an image that looks like you?

I did that with a recent article about living with Type 2 Diabetes. I rarely want my face on anything, but I placed it there because it was deeply personal and I wanted my face next to the colorful fruit and veggies picture I chose!

However, more often than not, I choose abstract art and other images.

6. How many drafts do you write for your story?

Once I have a pretty good idea of a title and what I want to write, everything flows.

The only time I do heavy note taking and research, are for deeply involved topics and after writing, I do try to clean it up a little. However, I don’t have multiple drafts going on. Nope. That’s scary.

7. Do you ever start a story with something in mind and it turns into something totally different?

Yep.

I write fiction on here as well. My Haphazard Fiction Bookmark holds my Endangered Entities stories, and many of those stories played out differently from what I imagined it would.

Once I type/write, magic takes over. I am always pleasantly surprised and blessed because it is like witnessing a birth. I don’t know what I may have, or if it will be a handsome, terrible beauty. Either way, it is all joy.

8. Did you ever get an idea for a story because of a comment you wrote to someone?

Yes!

Some stories I’ve written based on comments sent to my article that I wanted to expound on further. Especially ones that I am deeply passionate about.

9. How long have you been writing on Medium?

It is almost three years now…

I can’t believe it!

Since then I have changed my profile name at least ten times, LOL. I have found and pursued other passions to talk about on here, like my graphic design business, home decor, and published works.

10. If you could change or add one thing to Medium what would it be?

So far, Medium has been making robust changes as far as the interface looks and how we are paid. I would love more photo editing features (sizing, captions, etc.)

Thank you for reading! I’d like to invite more Medium friends: KL Simmons , Khadejah , Shane Berry , Blackthelma, and Sahil Patel.