RICE that Clicking Finger!
Rest. Ice. Compression. Elevate. Thank you, Dr. Rose.
I agree — obviously, or I wouldn’t have published this here! I started out without publishing through any of the on-site publications at all; that was a fast track to obscurity. Then, Rasheed left breadcrumbs; he suggested I look into ILLUMINATION. I tease him a lot, but I’m glad he doesn’t give up nudging me when I need a nudge, and mentoring me when I’m clearly wandering around the woods without a compass. I like to drag my feet, tinker around and figure things out, then do things my own way. But I’ll try anything once, as long as I’m convinced it’s not illegal, immoral, or likely to kill me.
I published with ILLUMINATION, and then I started applying to other publications, and as I became more familiar with Medium, I started on of my own — to organize my own work — and a few days ago, Rasheed and I started a new one to recognize and promote other writers. Mainly because that’s a fun thing to do.
Medium is a “blogging platform.” It’s not the New York Times. It is self-publishing, pure and simple. Official and independent “publications” on the site may get you some editorial feedback, some practice following guidelines, and a chance to work with people who don’t automatically love every word that flows from your fingertips. What I didn’t realize, until this week, was that any of them put on airs and demanded exclusivity.
But the quality of writing I’ve found on Medium, in general, has surprised me. A lot. It’s not all ready for prime time, by any means. But it’s more good than not. It’s the first place where I read anything by Ta Nehisi Coates. Until recently, I’ve seen little but writers supporting other writers, with amazingly little drama and snobbery. And I’m having a better, more productive time writing here than I do wasting time on Facebook or Twitter!
