Writers I Need Your Help

Please give me advice without the fluff and padding

I am relatively new to Medium, and like many beginners, I need guidance on how to succeed on Medium.

I am constantly reading a post hoping to learn something new. The title and subtitle offer so much, yet I often end up feeling deflated. Those promising headings turn out to be a rehash of everything I have read before.

I know there is little not already said, but I would be happy with a small nugget of original advice. I want to learn something, but telling me how successful you have been, doesn’t teach me anything.

When you have finished writing, look at the title and ask yourself whether you fulfilled the promise made to the reader or was it clickbait?

I’m a sucker; I fall for clickbait every time. I know the only way to succeed on Medium is by regular posting to improve my writing and building relationships with other writers. Yet, I still look for a hint to give me an edge when I’m writing.

I enjoy the personal stories on Medium. Like everyone else, I’ve experienced a wide range of emotions, broken relationships, bereavement, or a lousy day at the office when you want to tell the boss to stick his or her job. It’s comforting to be able to say, “I know what that feels like.” I would also like to know how the writers cope, but not everyone gives this information.

I don’t buy fiction books as I rarely read them twice; I use a library instead, but I have hundreds of non-fiction books. Why? They give me answers to my questions.

I view Medium the same way, fiction and poetry I read for pleasure, non-fiction for knowledge.

Writers often ramble, giving information not wanted or needed.

Perfect examples are recipe pages. If I want to know how to cook apple strudel, I don’t need a story about great-grandma bringing the recipe from the old country or the tennis club saying the strudel is delicious. I’ll decide that when I eat it.

There are two Medium writers I tend to turn to for information more than anyone else.

Zulie Rane gives step-by-step instructions and makes it even easier to follow by demonstrating on YouTube videos.

Casey Botticello always has the answer to anything I want to know about the technical side of Medium. I type his name and my problem into Google, and there is the answer.

Both writers fulfill the promise made in their article titles. No fluff, no padding.

Being new to Medium, there is a lot I need to learn about writing on the platform. The guidance I am seeking needs to be clear and honest.

So please, Medium writers, I need your help.