To 100 and Beyond With Love (№1)

So, I recently started a weekly article called “Love It AND List It,” where I review my favorite Medium reads of the week. You can read week one’s roundup here:

During week one, I dedicated a section of my praise for writers with under 100 followers.

I only started writing seriously on Medium in mid-October, so I know the pressures new writers (and some veterans) face with the impending deadline for the Medium Partner Program requirements.

So many more-established writers on Medium helped me reach my 100 followers. Ramblings Anon, Graeme Sharpe, Checkmate11, JL Matthews, and Vanessa Hinojosa all stepped up with a show of support. So to each of you:

Feeling inspired by their generosity and looking to follow in their footsteps, I decided to find a way to pay it forward.

That’s when I realized I already had it — my weekly review. But I only highlighted two writers (with under 100) in week one. That’s not enough. I can do better!

So, I’ve decided that between now and the December 31st deadline, I will publish a weekly review solely dedicated to writers with under 200 followers. So, reader, meet “To 100 and Beyond With Love.”

I am shooting for 200 and under because reaching the 100 goal doesn’t ensure security. Followers come and go (bots get deleted), so the MPP writers need a little room to breathe to remain eligible.

I will still publish my “Love It AND List It” review as well, but as we’re making our descent into 2022, I thought I’d give a little extra love to stand-out writers who still need to meet the MPP requirements.

Also, the music lover in me likes to have a little fun, so each week, I will find a new song to inspire the spirit of this review.

Without further delay, cue the music — here are my top reads from the 200 and under crowd this week! They are “simply the best.”

And, yes, I jammed out to this song while I wrote.

Kamil “Partner Program Got You Down?”

Appropriately, the first piece is about the Medium Partner Program. The article titled “Partner Program Got You Down?” comes from writer Kamil. Published in the New Writer’s Welcome pub, she encourages writers to not lose the “joy of writing” in the pursuit of validation.

It’s a quick read full of wisdom, like:

I’ve read a few articles encouraging people to mimic the styles of top writers. No shade, I believe this is terrible advice. It’s okay to be inspired, but it’s essential we use our own unique voice and style. You’ll find your audience, and your audience will find you

Check out the rest of the article here:

Sahar Elgamil “Storytelling Through Recipes-Roasted Baby Eggplant with Garlic Yogurt”

Next, a self-published article from Sahar Elgamil is a chef who tells stories through recipes. I love when I stumble upon unique content and innovative storytelling, so I was excited to see delicious food and heart-warming words together on a page.

In this recipe for “Roasted Baby Eggplant with Garlic Yogurt,” Sahar revisits childhood memories of Ramadan and provides the reader a recipe for a dish she believes best fits:

…someone who’s not used to Middle Eastern flavors, but are looking to expand your horizons, this dish is a good starting option! It’s flavor profile is on the milder side and pretty pleasing to most palates.

Explore this recipe and the story that goes with it here:

Jollene Phillips “Starbucks Dream”

Next is a poem published in CRY Magazine, written by Jollene Phillips — “Starbucks Dream.” Yes! It is a poem about Starbucks (on the surface), but when you dig deeper into the lush rhyme scheme, it is about so much more: identity, consumerism, personality.

I do love a delicious caramel frap, but even more, I love a poet who can take an everyday item and weave words around it to create a deeper conversation. Phillips does just that here:

Matt Kennedy “Stop Overthinking and Write”

Now for some motivation and writing advice from writer Matt Kennedy. In his self-published article “Stop Overthinking and Write,” Matt discusses his shift from perpetual procrastination to adopting a daily writing practice.

He encourages:

Put more trust in yourself and embrace the fear, more than likely or not your first hundred posts or stories will not even be read, but it will end up being the catalyst in your journey to becoming a better writer, by turning up every day and growing your skills and knowledge around the craft.

His advice resonated with me. Publishing our work is more than a metrics game. Each piece represents a step in our writing journey.

Read the rest of Matt’s insights here:

Phoenix Redeemed “Why This Teacher Took A Year Off”

Last but not least is a piece from the Motivate the Mind publication. Former educator turned writer Phoenix Redeemed shares her reasoning for taking a break from teaching in the post-pandemic school year.

As a fellow educator (also taking a break), many aspects of her story resonated. Especially this the moment she realized the level of detachment maintained by many admins. She recognizes:

That was the moment when it occurred to me… we are nothing but a faceless army that they can abuse to get the scores they want. We don’t matter.

I believe the crisis in education, especially teacher burnout, needs our attention, so writers raising awareness are critical. Educate yourself here:

Well, that’s it — the official first “To 100 and Beyond With Love” roundup. Thank you for taking the time to read, and I hope you found five new Medium voices to love and follow!

Remember, let’s encourage each other as we learn and grow from this crazy writing journey!

Until next time, write on, read on, clap, comment, and share!

📖&💓 more by Heather Martin
"You Published Your Heart, Now What?"
"The Time Before The Time"  
Buy Heather a cup of ☕ here. 
The above writing is ©Heather Martin 2021