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What Would be Your Reaction if Your Medium Stories Received a Boost?

As of today, I’ve had a total of four stories boosted on Medium.

Dear friends and fellow Medium enthusiasts,

I’m excited to share with you the Four Boosted Stories I penned this year on Medium, which received a significant boost. Moreover, today marks the celebration of my 500th published story, and I’m thrilled to commemorate my journey on Medium.

This venture began in February 2021 when I stumbled upon Medium, seeking a platform to express myself without the financial burden of maintaining a personal website — considering the expenses associated with time, hosting, and domain ownership.

While I may not be an expert writer, my passion lies in narrating stories through my photographs and sharing my travel experiences. The journey hasn’t been without its challenges; I faced criticism for my writing, but I embraced it as a valuable learning experience — a lesson for which I am grateful today.

The 4 Boosted Stories

1. My Summer Journey to Lunersee in Austria — Published at Dancing Elephant Press Pub

This recounts my unforgettable trek to Lunersee, an expedition marked by breathtaking landscapes and profound communion with the splendor of the Austrian wilderness. Submitted to Dancing Elephant Press Publication for the summer contest in July 2023, this narrative delves into my personal journey.

2. The Last Portraits Published at Photography101 by Warren Brown

In addition, my second article, titled “The Last Portraits,” garnered a boost and found its place in the pages of Photography101 Publication.

Crafting The Last Portraits story was a months-long endeavor, grappling with questions on how to articulate the experience and determine an appropriate title. The challenge extended to selecting images for the article among the thousands of portrait shots in my collection, all while harboring concerns about potential copyright issues. As photographers, we tread carefully when using images captured for clients, cognizant of the legal repercussions that may arise.

Navigating the intricacies of copyrighted images requires a thorough understanding, even for those who originally took the shots. Both photographers and models must establish clear agreements. It’s evident in many publications, including Medium, where they emphasize the importance of being mindful, acknowledging, or crediting the photographers behind the images.

After the unexpected boost of The Last Portraits story, I was taken aback to discover another one gaining Medium staff recognition less than two weeks later. This was a pleasant surprise, affirming that my dedication to writing about what I know best was resonating with a broader audience.

Unlike those who can effortlessly conjure stories, I rely on prompts for inspiration. While I understand that some writers can create narratives spontaneously, I find my creative spark through prompts and stories from others with whom I can relate.

Despite attempting numerous prompts on Medium, I often found myself discarding them after attempting to respond. To provide some context, my writing journey on Medium has led to 92 drafts, 499 published stories, and responses to 6987 as of today.

3. Gray — A prompt by Anne Bonfert for Globetrotters and published by Jillian Amatt - Artistic Voyages

The third boosted story emerged from my response to the “Gray” prompt for Globetrotters Publication. Initially, it flowed effortlessly during the writing process. I submitted it with minimal effort, only to receive feedback from Jillian Amatt - Artistic Voyages suggesting the incorporation of more personal stories.

I appreciate your invaluable feedback, Jill. This story wouldn’t have reached its current state without your honesty.

In response to this valuable input, I withdrew the story from submission, and underwent a substantial rewriting process, reworking nearly every sentence. The revision involved augmenting the narrative with additional images, sharpening the focus, and delving into the moments when the pictures were captured. This exercise of recalling and infusing personal experiences into the story facilitated a smoother and more engaging writing process.

Here are two screenshots depicting how it appeared today, on the 15th of November 2023.

I pose a question to you, my friends:

When one of our stories receives a boost, do you wait before publishing another? Is there a concern that the subsequent story might disrupt the momentum of the boosted one? Let me elaborate on why I bring this up.

4. What Do You See When You Look At Me? A prompt by Annelise Lords for Dancing Elephant Press

Following the boosted story, I proceeded to publish another one. This time, I responded to a prompt from Dancing Elephant Press Publication titled “What Do You See When You Look at Me?”

This marks the fourth story to receive a boost this year and the third within the current month. It appears that the reader's attention has shifted significantly toward this particular piece.

Wrapping Up

I’ve observed a pattern where the boosted articles are consistently submitted to Publications. I am of the opinion that Publications play a significant role in the success of our boosted stories. What are your thoughts on this? Feel free to share your comments in the comment section. Thank you for participating!!

I have also managed to publish 500 stories as of today! Weew!

Achieving four boosted stories so far this year truly fills my heart with joy. It feels like I’ve reached the next level in my journey to becoming a genuine writer and an integral part of the Medium community. I’m delighted to be here and committed to remaining a part of the Medium family.

Do share your boosted stories in the comment section as well so we can read them.

Thank you all for your unwavering support!

I express my gratitude to Medium for providing this platform that welcomes all of us who share a love for writing.

Did you know? to add a link to your image Click on the image, press the command +K (Mac users), and Control + K on PC users