Chapter 2: Inspiring New Writers

Recently, I updated my article to encourage writers to share their biographies, as our readers are eager to learn more personal stories. I look forward to promoting your writer bios!

ILLUMINATION-Curators have launched a new collection for our Reading Club, filled with engaging narratives. I hope that many more enthusiastic readers consider upgrading their subscriptions. If you share our passion for reading, like Dr. Kraushaar, Dr. Yildiz, and Dr. Broadly, take the leap and upgrade your subscription like many early adopters I’ve introduced to you.

ILLUMINATION editors interviewed Dr. Yildiz about how Friends of Medium can share links across our tailored social media platforms. I tried this method, and it took me just 10 minutes to share these stories! I hope this brings many new readers to Medium, as we all need to attract a larger audience to make this platform vibrant and sustainable.

Our editorial team explained how we promote non-boosted stories, which represent over 99% of submissions. I'm actively involved in this process to create visibility for these narratives. Thank you for your continued support on this incredible journey.

Daily Sharing List — Volume 81

I volunteered to compile a list for easy sharing across platforms like Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Reddit, and Quora. You can find all our sharing options in this story link provided by Dr. Yildiz.

Please note that the stories included are a mix of my favorites and those nominated by our dedicated editors, writers, and readers on this platform. As a publication, ILLUMINATION maintains a neutral stance toward all published stories, and while we cannot feature every piece out of the million published, we will strive to amplify as many outstanding stories as possible on a daily basis.

Here are the fantastic stories nominated today! I trust you will find something to satisfy your reading appetite:

• 4 Steps to Make the Body Leptin Sensitive for Suppressing Food Cravings and Losing Fat Easily by Dr. Mehmet Yildiz
• Finding Comfort in Blocks: How Minecraft Eased My First Time Loneliness and Intense Grief at 17 by Aiden (Illumination Gaming)
• Here's How I Improved My VO2max After My 60s with Persistence and Guidance by Mike Broadly, DHSc
• The Complete Guide to Be a Critical Thinker by Ali Alzahrani, M.Sc., Editor
• Death, Life, and Uncertainty in the ER by Joan Naidorf
• How to Use Command Prompts to Repair System Images In Windows 11 by Amaryllis Benton
• How the Haitian Revolution, the German Coast Uprising, and the Nat Turner Revolt Changed America by William Spivey
• Sunflowers 2 Year Anniversary by MicheletheTrainer
• Work With Gusto Like Nietzsche by Thomas Oppong
• The Journey Without Water: A 72-Hour Odyssey 2024
• One Key Question Every Fiction Writer Should Be Asking Themselves Before They Start Their Next… by Aidan Jones
• Hope by Alexandra Gratsas
• Digital Eating Disorders: Is it Possible to Have a Balanced Social Media Diet? by Brett Anderson
• Choosing the Right RV Battery by C. L. Beard
• Grocery Shopping For Cheap by Caroline Archer
• This goes out to the overthinkers by Chet Chung
• The Economics of Charity by Danish Kayani
• What's the Healthiest Way to Deal With Anger and Upset? Lengthen Your Fuse by David Gerken
• Can I tell you a story about a hat? by Deon Ashleigh, Editor and Sci-fi Author
• I Suffer From Cervical Spondylosis. Here are 3 Tools That Help Me Manage It by Devsomesh
• How I Manifested My Husband Through Journaling by Divinely Guided
• How I Maintain My Respiratory Health & Live With Abundant Energy by Dr. Mehmet Yildiz
• Why Some Companies Are Raising Salaries Instead of Cutting Jobs? by Ekant Mate (AWS APN Ambassador)
• How Can You Live the Rest of Your Life Happily? by Emily Chan
• The Choice Between a Rose and a Cactus by Freda Savahl
• As My Business Grows, My Empathy Shrinks. Can I Stop It? by Hudson Rennie
• Me, My Son, & Music by Ida Masterson
• Finding Peace With My Life as It Is by Jennifer Nelson
• The Insanity of Body Positive and Why Need to Talk About "Fat Acceptance" by Jessey Anthony
• Scared to Ditch Desserts? 3 Reasons by Joan Kent, PhD
• I'm sorry… by Kallol Mazumdar
• Wish Me Good Luck by Karthik Seenuvasan
• Thinking of Leaving Your Job — Consider These 24 Points First by Kevin Hamill
• Talent Works, Genius Creates by Khansa Baloch
• Darkling by Laiba Sattar
• My Dream Room by Laiba Sattar
• What The Rise Of Cozy Gaming Tells Us About Society by Ossiana Tepfenhart
• A New Writing Trend: The Impact of Begging Readers by Paul Is Positive
• Why I Stay Neutral in Disputes Ruled By Venus
• Create Your Beaded Masterpiece: A Beginner's Guide by Saba
• Your Core Passion Coupled With An Unrelenting Commitment Can Yield the Life Of Your Dreams! by Shiitaal Budhrauj
• Use SMART Goals to Succeed: A Blueprint for Setting and Achieving Your Goals by Sifawu Usikalu
• Your Gut Is Really Unhealthy if You Have Any of These Sneaky Signs by Sufyan Maan, M.Eng
• Woodland Breeze by Tom Kane
• How My Friend Tripled His Salary in Three Years by Hopping Job by Usman Aslam
• It Was The Ring by Wendy King

Thank you for taking the time to read these wonderful stories!

Quick Updates for New Writers

Here’s our onboarding pack that covers everything you need to get started.

ILLUMINATION-Curators have introduced some recently boosted stories. I believe you will find many great narratives in that collection.

By upgrading his main profile, Dr. Yildiz has inspired our readers to become Friends of Medium. I hope many will join this inspiring journey.

Celebrating My Reading Anniversary with My Upgraded Subscription to New Medium Friendship

Boost Education:

Here is Episode 2 featuring the boosted stories of Matt Williams-Spooner, Ph.D. Lessons Learned from Boosted Stories — Episode #2 and Lessons Learned from Boosted Stories — Episode #1. You can learn more about Matt's background in this interview.

I have recently welcomed several new writers, and I eagerly anticipate their contributions to these collections. You can meet them in the attached post, and I’ve included their profiles at the end for easy following.

For new readers and writers, I’m now a Friend of Medium (FoM). This means that stories I read from other authors now earn them quadruple the previous earnings. Details are in the attached story.

Dr. Yildiz has also invited our readers to become Medium Friends and support our writers. The more FoMs we gather, the merrier!

However, scammers have attempted to spam his beautiful story and deceive our readers. It’s essential for every writer and reader to remain cautious and aware of these threats.

How to Identify Them? These fraudulent accounts usually lack followers and have not authored any stories themselves. They are non-members with no star or heart icons in their profile names.

If you’re interested in gaming, I’ve recently written about the winners of the 2023 Game Awards. I’ll be introducing some of those games in upcoming stories for fellow gaming enthusiasts.

If you plan to craft narratives about these remarkable games, consider submitting them to my publication, ILLUMINATION-Gaming. I’m here to elevate your stories, ensuring they shine brightly and increasing their chances of being boosted.

To inform new writers, our special publication, ILLUMINATION-Curated, is now a boost nominating platform. You can learn more about how ILLUMINATION Publications supports the BOOST Program.

I’ve compiled all my lists into one comprehensive story—a treasure trove of fantastic reads just waiting for you. Please consider sharing the love on your social channels and dive into these gems! You won’t regret it.

Dr. Mehmet Yildiz introduced a dynamic writing duo known as Pernoste & Dahl. You’ll enjoy this introduction as he unveils the fascinating backgrounds of these two writers who create inspiring and engaging content on Medium.

Meet Pernoste and Dahl: A Writing Duo of a Neuroscientist and an Artist

ILLUMINATION editors recently spotlighted a talented writer, Somil Gupta. I encourage you to check his profile and explore his wonderful stories.

Our team of volunteers is diligently working through the influx of submissions, aiming to review and publish each piece while welcoming new writers into our community. It’s a heartfelt endeavor that requires time and effort. Please remember that we support over 25,000 writers, as outlined in our Monthly Updates.

If you missed my recent interview featuring Luay Rahil, here’s a link for you. His stories may surprise you in the best way!

For those who didn’t catch my Vocal saga, here’s the link. I hope new writers learn from my 18-month experience and avoid similar pitfalls.

ILLUMINATION-Curators compiled boosted stories in December, which might contain some captivating reads from that collection. I opted to publish this collection on ILLUMINATION-Curated, as our readers enjoy curated selections. Here’s their treasure trove.

ILLUMINATION-Curators discussed an exceptional story that I hope you will read, paying particular attention to your privacy. This is a valuable read for every audience member.

Our chief editor, Dr. Mehmet Yildiz, upgraded our ILLUMINATION and ILLUMINATION-Curators accounts, as well as his tech account, making them Friends of Medium. Reading from these accounts will enable writers to earn four times more. While curating stories, we frequently read many narratives from these accounts, which will benefit our writers immensely.

Today, I was particularly busy, being the last public holiday in Australia. I assisted in onboarding around 100 new writers, allowing me to discover around 60 fantastic pieces, which I have listed.

As I struggled with the hedonistic treadmill in pursuit of wealth and recognition, which ultimately led to burnout, Dr. Yildiz’s story deeply resonated with me. It offers insights that can shift perspectives on material possessions and money, potentially making it easier to incorporate financial success into our lives.

The cloning machine has struck again, attempting to create shady duplicates of my blockbuster film. Let me be clear—no matter how much they beg, these scammers will not land a role in my soon-to-be award-winning cinematic masterpiece.

I recently learned that scammers targeted Mike's beautifully curated collections again after the fifth attempt to spam all his readers while pretending to be him. This time, they employed sophisticated tactics that Mike revealed in a masterpiece. Those scammers clearly underestimate Mike, a seasoned professional who won’t let them prevail.

One of our consulting editors, David B. Grinberg 🇺🇸, authored an intriguing piece discussing why Medium should be more transparent with users about these phishing scams.

Throughout our discussions, I gained a deeper understanding of Dr. Yildiz's challenges. I hope those who sometimes take our volunteer service for granted will read this story. Running these Medium publications is no simple task, and it’s not all easy sailing on the editorial team.

A Rollercoaster of My Saturday: Challenges, Surprises, and Joyful Insights

As I curated these gems, I encountered numerous "aha" moments—some that brought laughter and others that coaxed tears, all painting my journey with vivid emotions. I’m excited to share these emotional roller coasters with you, hoping they add a sprinkle of joy or even a touch of uncontrollable laughter to your day. Enjoy the ride.

ILLUMINATION editors created an important bulletin addressing the rise of spam, scam, and bot accounts that are contaminating the platform and causing distress for writers and readers. Please be cautious, as I was cloned and found it disheartening.

I read an intriguing story from Dr. Yildiz related to Mike’s experiences and his findings regarding spam topics.

The Reason I Didn't Publish a Science and Health Article on Medium Today

For those who missed my Vocal saga, here’s the link again. I highly recommend Dr. Yildiz's story, which raises important concerns for new writers like me who want to make Medium our home.

Our newsletter detailing ILLUMINATION’s progress and plans has been released on both Medium and Substack. I’ve linked both versions so you can share them with your relevant audiences. Sharing is a wonderful community trait, and here’s the Substack version.

ILLUMINATION-Curators compiled and published a collection of boosted stories from ILLUMINATION-Curated. I believe you will discover some amazing stories within that collection. It’s a labor of love from writers, editors, nominators, and Medium curators to delight our readers.

December 2023 was a remarkable month for me. Moreover, a story near and dear to my heart received a boost. I’m grateful for the comments on this narrative: Gaming, Fun, and Humor: The Lifelines That Rescued Me From Social Media's Grip on My Life.

I recently self-curated my monthly stories for my loyal readers as a sample for fellow writers. I’m looking forward to achieving similar success this month, so I’ll continue to work diligently. Please also check our strategic plans for 2024, which align with Medium’s direction as articulated by Dr. Mehmet Yildiz, our chief editor.

He also mentioned that only 5% of his stories performed well in 2023, while the remaining 95% hardly gained any visibility.

Dr. Yildiz also welcomed many new writers during his holidays.

Please find his collections with the associated lists and share them on your social platforms to help us attract more readers to Medium. Here are links to Mike's collections: #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6, #7, #8, #9, #10, #11, #12, #13, #14, #15, #16

Our supportive editor, renowned nutritionist Elin Melaas, created her second collection earlier. Elin also established the Invisible Series. Elin's Chosen ILLUMINATION Stories — #2

Our wonderful editor Surekha Chandrasekhar also curated a collection of her delightful publication ILLUMINATION's Nutrition, which serves as our virtual kitchen. 20 Curated Stories From Illumination's Nutrition -2023

ILLUMINATION editors introduced some fantastic writers. Please check out their profiles and explore their incredible stories.

Meet Seda Anbarcı, Meet Dr. Emmanuel Ogamdi, Meet Jozsef Kovacs, Meet Davor Katusic. Meet Thomas Allen Moon, Meet Sneha Nagre, Meet Zondra Dos Anjos, Meet Ani Vals Meet Ammara Hassan. Meet Sridhar Pai Tonse — Leadgen Coach- Tech Startups Chosen Stories from Omni Essence, Editorial Profile of InYah

Our editors take pleasure in reading stories and nominating them for these curated collections. You may check editor profiles in this compilation.

I have a passion for reading writer biographies and curating them. If you write a biography story, please let me know so I can add it to my collection. Meet ILLUMINATION Writers from Their Personally Penned Biographies

Dr. Mehmet Yildiz reviewed an intriguing book by Dr. Emmanuel Ogamdi. If you are an author, you may contact Dr. Yildiz as he provides excellent reviews. He even wrote the foreword for my gaming book. Here’s his great review today: "Nobody Will Tell You This."

As mentioned a few weeks ago, I created a Discord server for our writers to collaborate and share their story links, and you are all welcome to join. We’re already having a great time there. While it’s not as large as our Slack workspace, it has the potential to grow, as Discord is quite enjoyable.

A Special Welcome to New Writers on New Year's Day from the Chief Editor

A Special Welcome to New Writers on Christmas Day from the Chief Editor

Announcement of New Writers for ILLUMINATION #28

Announcement of New Writers for ILLUMINATION #27

New writers, if you need assistance, please feel free to contact me on Slack or our Discord server. I’ve introduced these services below.

I also enjoy showcasing writers on YouTube. If you’re interested, please reach out to me on Slack or Discord. Here’s some information about Slack and Discord.

About Me

I write articles covering gaming, filmmaking, social media, and design. I am also a YouTuber. Thank you for subscribing to my account to receive notifications when I post on Medium. I’ve created a new website to share my content for free and promote the stories of writers contributing to my publications on Medium. I also have a Substack newsletter. Let’s connect on Twitter and LinkedIn.

I manage two publications on Medium—one for video gamers and another for YouTubers and podcasters. Additionally, I support Illumination Integrated Publications as a volunteer editor and participate in collaborative efforts in the Slack Workspace.

Writer applications for my publications can be submitted via this link. Please include your Medium ID. I also enjoy email marketing using Cliqly, which is my affiliate link.