I don't know if it heartens me or fills me with despair that we're never done honing our voice. I think it's both, but what pushes to the front depends on the day.
If we're going to grow as writers we never stop honing our voices. That's a given. That's not to say it's not exhausting, or even disheartening, but when we're at a point where we can look back at pieces we've written in the past and see weaknesses it's a moment to rejoice! After we've finished flagellating, that is.
“…finding amazing writing at Medium is like sifting through mountains of smelly trash in order to find a bright, shiny jewel.“
After 2.5 years reading and writing on medium I have a lot to say about this topic. But this quote right here just about sums it up. I’m pleased with some of the changes they’ve made recently but I do see content-mill-like properties braided in with the newfound push to support writers and… I just don’t know how I feel about it.
In the end we have to decide for ourselves how to use Medium in ways that are best for each of us. I solved it (for now) by not allowing Medium to become too much a part of my life. It took me a while to come to that, but I didn't like how I was feeling while I was writing there. Now I use it on my terms, not theirs, and I'm much more comfortable.
I'm happier here at Substack, but I check out Medium and even publish there now and then. It seems to work for me, now that I've given up those oddly emotional ties I once had with them.
(The thing I love best about blogging is that I don’t have to ask permission to go back in, even years afterward, and edit those little things that threaten to embarrass me to the end of my days.)
Thanks for reposting this piece. I like reading about the history of blogging. I also like reading anything about you, and it seems others do too. Right now, I think of you every morning when I'm forcing myself to drink my four pink bottles of water. "Ramona doesn't like to hydrate either, and look what happened!" So see, you've even joined my four in the morning forced hydration so I'm not all alone in it.
Okay! I'll call my cautionary piece a public service announcement. 😉
I'm drinking decaffeinated sun tea now, and Ultima Replenisher drink mix in my water (for electrolytes, I'm told.) Feeling pretty good, but then I'm still on steroids, so... 🙄
Well, I sppose if anyone could use an ass-kick, it's me, but to be honest, I do love a comfortable rut. My biggest ass-kick recently, has not been my ass, but rather breaking my right arm. Hello one-handed typing and writing with the non-dominent hand. But more than the physical breakage, I seem to have imposed a self-limiting ceiling on what will eventually happen to my unpublished memoir. I think I'd better have a look for Shonda's book!
I don't know if it heartens me or fills me with despair that we're never done honing our voice. I think it's both, but what pushes to the front depends on the day.
If we're going to grow as writers we never stop honing our voices. That's a given. That's not to say it's not exhausting, or even disheartening, but when we're at a point where we can look back at pieces we've written in the past and see weaknesses it's a moment to rejoice! After we've finished flagellating, that is.
Luckily, those moments of self-flagellation are balanced out by those moments of "Oh, hey! That's a damn fine piece of writing. I did that."
Right. Those grand moments are the best! Without them, we would have quit long ago.
“…finding amazing writing at Medium is like sifting through mountains of smelly trash in order to find a bright, shiny jewel.“
After 2.5 years reading and writing on medium I have a lot to say about this topic. But this quote right here just about sums it up. I’m pleased with some of the changes they’ve made recently but I do see content-mill-like properties braided in with the newfound push to support writers and… I just don’t know how I feel about it.
In the end we have to decide for ourselves how to use Medium in ways that are best for each of us. I solved it (for now) by not allowing Medium to become too much a part of my life. It took me a while to come to that, but I didn't like how I was feeling while I was writing there. Now I use it on my terms, not theirs, and I'm much more comfortable.
I'm happier here at Substack, but I check out Medium and even publish there now and then. It seems to work for me, now that I've given up those oddly emotional ties I once had with them.
This, oh this.
(The thing I love best about blogging is that I don’t have to ask permission to go back in, even years afterward, and edit those little things that threaten to embarrass me to the end of my days.)
Thanks for reposting this piece. I like reading about the history of blogging. I also like reading anything about you, and it seems others do too. Right now, I think of you every morning when I'm forcing myself to drink my four pink bottles of water. "Ramona doesn't like to hydrate either, and look what happened!" So see, you've even joined my four in the morning forced hydration so I'm not all alone in it.
Okay! I'll call my cautionary piece a public service announcement. 😉
I'm drinking decaffeinated sun tea now, and Ultima Replenisher drink mix in my water (for electrolytes, I'm told.) Feeling pretty good, but then I'm still on steroids, so... 🙄
Well, I sppose if anyone could use an ass-kick, it's me, but to be honest, I do love a comfortable rut. My biggest ass-kick recently, has not been my ass, but rather breaking my right arm. Hello one-handed typing and writing with the non-dominent hand. But more than the physical breakage, I seem to have imposed a self-limiting ceiling on what will eventually happen to my unpublished memoir. I think I'd better have a look for Shonda's book!