Summary

A writer reflects on their progress halfway through the March Challenge, a personal initiative to publish an article every day, sharing their achievements, struggles, and the joy of rediscovering their passion for writing.

Abstract

The author is halfway through the March Challenge, which involves publishing an article daily. Despite the difficulties of the past year, they have found renewed motivation and creativity through this endeavor. Their goals include rekindling their writing passion, engaging with the Medium community, improving their writing skills, building a portfolio, and potentially earning money. The author has seen an increase in followers, published 20 stories, and experienced a mix of popular and less popular articles, with a total of 252 views and 128 reads, though earnings are still minimal. They have enjoyed the writing process and the mental clarity it brings, despite challenges like finding time to engage with other writers' work and navigating Medium's platform changes. The author remains optimistic and inspired, viewing the challenge as a success regardless of the outcome.

Opinions

The author finds the challenge of publishing daily to be rewarding and beneficial for their mental health and creativity.
They express a sense of accomplishment in their ability to consistently produce content and meet the challenge's demands.
The author values engagement with the Medium community but finds it difficult to balance reading and commenting with their writing schedule.
They are critical of Medium's recent changes, which they believe have made it harder for their stories to gain visibility.
The author is introspective about their work, acknowledging that not all pieces resonate with readers but finding personal satisfaction in the process.
Despite not meeting all their goals, such as earning significant money or having many stories curated, the author considers the challenge a personal success and a step towards rediscovering their love for writing.
The author is hopeful about the future, with an abundance of ideas and a renewed sense of inspiration for their writing career.

The Halfway Mark Of The March Challenge

Publish an article every day

Woah, we’re halfway there

Woah, livin’ on a prayer

Take my hand, we’ll make it I swear

Woah, livin’ on a prayer

- Bon Jovi, Livin’ on a Prayer

Yes, this song has been playing on repeat in my head today!

I am halfway there. I can see the home stretch. The finish line is in sight! I can see the top of this mountain.

The challenge was to publish an article every day in March, and so far I am smashing it.

March Challenge: Publish an article every single day.

I NEED to get back into the groove of creating and writing.

medium.com

What am I hoping to achieve with the March Challenge?

2020 sucked all my mojo. I had nothing left to give. To myself. To my family. And least of all to writing. I wanted a way to find that spark again, to find the joy in writing and creating. This is one of the main goals of this challenge.

The other goals are:

To become an active participant in the Medium community, thereby growing a following and building a network.
Improve my writing skills.
Develop and build a portfolio.
Some extra moola would be great!

What have I achieved so far?

Updated stats from 15th March.

Followers: 73 (up from 47).

The total number of stories published: 20 (15 since the start of March).

Most popular story: Meditation in Motion (same as at the start of this challenge). This was published prior to commencing the March Challenge in Mind|Body|Soul.

Least popular story: A Letter To My Newborn Son.

Total views: 252

Total Reads: 128

Total earnings: not even enough to cover the cost of a Medium Membership!

How have I found it so far?

I have struggled with publishing a story every single day. Mainly because I have submitted articles to publications and need to hear back. I have decided that for the last half of this challenge, on the days that I submit to a publication I will post a different story on my own. This way I am still fulfilling the challenge to have an article published every single day, plus hopefully, it means by the end of March I will have more than the 31 stories I was aiming for!

What has been the most challenging?

The most challenging, oddly enough, has been finding the time to read other peoples stories and leave comments.

The other challenging thing is getting my stories read by Medium Members. The home page is difficult. From some research I have done it seems that most people have found these “new” changes with Medium difficult too.

What have I enjoyed the most?

I have simply loved writing. I have written on a variety of topics, on anything that has sparked my interest. I have found that my anxiety is lessened, I have more clarity of mind and I am happier because I am writing nearly every single day.

What have I not enjoyed?

There is not much I have not enjoyed so far with this challenge. If I had to say anything it would be that I (wrongly I might add) assumed that I would have more readers and a few “curated” articles by now. I have had one article curated. I need to look into what I am doing wrong (or not quite right). For now I am just happy writing for myself. Getting all these thoughts and ideas out there.

I know, it can be difficult to gain traction. And I am trying not to look at my stats on a daily basis. I looked at them today to post an update here, but my aim is to not look again until the end of the March Challenge. Let’s hope I can resist looking!

r-m-writing.medium.com

Still waiting for acceptance from other publications: 1 article.

What will the end bring?

I don’t know, but I am excited to find out!

I have so many other articles just waiting to be written. And for every article I write, there spark at least 2 more ideas.

I feel inspired. I feel hopeful. I feel clearer and happier than I have for a long time. If this challenge brings me nothing else then I still rate this a great success.

Rachel Maree is a writer, mum and registered nurse. Bringing you the real truth to parenting, nursing and writing (even when it is downright ugly). You can read more articles or hire her to write amazing content for you — Rachel Maree.

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