#4 Death, Vegan Food Truck Night, Back-to-School
Well, I’ve had a few glasses of rioja, and here’s what’s on my mind this warm and balmy Sunday evening in Los Angeles.
So my boyfriend moved to the up-and-coming NOHO arts district which, now that we have unpacked the last box of crap and can come up for air, we are loving.
Tonight, our friend Kerry was our first guest at the new apartment. She came over and we checked out the vegan food truck scene that happens every Sunday night half a block away, live D.J., Peking roast ‘duck,’ “Beyond Meat” and all.
All I’m gonna say is, I ordered wrong and was incredibly unsatisfied with my $30 vegan fail. Next time, I will hit the taco truck and I have a feeling anything slathered in guacamole and salsa is going to taste a lot better than what I sadly ended up with tonight. Even if it has simulated cheese on it.
On to the totally unrelated topic of death. What can you say about death? This is what Charles Bukowski had to say, after probably a few glasses (or bottles) of rioja.
We are pliable. Love need not be a command nor faith a dictum. I am my own god. We are here to unlearn the teachings of the church, state, and our educational system. We are here to drink beer. We are here to kill war. We are here to laugh at the odds and live our lives so well that Death will tremble to take us.
― Charles Bukowski
And as you may (or may not) know, Medium ran a Writer’s Challenge this August. There were four prompts: death, space, work, and reentry, which are being judged by some high-level people in the arts, entertainment, and media, including Natalie Portman, Roxane Gay, Saeed Jones, Susan Orlean, to name a few.
I loved the contest because I wrote some essays I was proud of. And for four weeks, instead of reading meta articles about Jane’s viral article and Joe’s formula for going viral, I got a glimpse inside the lives of others and read some powerful, beautiful stories, some of which gave me the chills.
Sometimes, when given a prompt out of left field, you pull something out of you that you feel passionate about. Something you didn’t even know was in you. These are the four essays I threw into the mix, tagging each one appropriately, to take my shot:
Divorce, Death, and #magicalunicorns
The Idiot Wind Beneath My Wings
Notes from The Assistant Job from Hell
This is the one story that I read today that leveled me, and I hope it wins in the MWC death category.
If an entire story can be highlighted, I will go ahead and highlight every line of Gerald Grow’s essay. The prose is that beautiful. The story is that moving. This is the whole enchilada, served warm on a colorful plate, with amazing toppings and spices. Just read it if you want to experience amazing creative non-fiction elevated to its highest form.
I hope you search up the hashtags MWC death, MWC space, MWC work, and MWC reentry. There are so many powerful stories that have made Medium a pretty amazing place to hang out this month.
Medium Tip:
Since it’s back-to-school season, let’s play a game of tag.
No, not the kind where the cute boy you like socks you in the face after you’ve called him every awful name under the sun and your mom has to come to pick you up from school in the middle of her workday.
No, I’m talking about knowing the difference between tags and categories on Medium.
For everything you ever wanted to know about tagging on Medium, read this article by Jessica Lynn. These are some of the key points that really enlightened me on the subject.
This excellent piece by Liz Porter helped me understand how to better utilize tags. This is an excerpt that is helpful if you’re trying to achieve ‘top writer’ status in a particular category:
You know those numbers that come up in brackets next to the tag you choose?
Well, I’ve been under the impression they referred to how many people are following that specific tag. So I assumed that the numbers represented all the readers/writers interested in that topic as they selected their ‘topics of interest’ in their profiles.
That’s why I go for the biggest number every time, thinking it’s popular and more people will find me in searches.
Nope. All wrong, Lizzie!
That number refers to how many stories are currently tagged with that specific tag.
A whole new ball game.
Meaning the higher the number, the more saturated the tag is. A saturated tag means more writers have chosen that tag for their story, which effectively increases your competition for reads like crazy.
Getting reads on Medium is hard enough, but I’m unknowingly making it harder on myself by burying my stories amongst others using those same saturated tags.
Those top tags (especially the special 73 required for top writer status) are also saturated with top writers. That’s a double whammy because now you’re competing with the elusive 1% and their expertise on the topic as well.
Oh, and yes, use all five tags every time! Each one still increases the chances of your work being found.
SEO TIP
SEO tips are a little like culottes. Are they in? Are they relevant? Are you the only one wearing this/doing this all of a sudden?
This is a relevant SEO tip that I hope helps make life a little easier for your awesome blogs/content/life’s work that you hope people will discover online.
Think Beyond ‘Exact Match’ Keywords
You do not need to use exact match keyword terms.
Google understands entities (things and concepts) and relationships.
It can associate your topical keyword search terms.
Also, pick a short domain
When choosing a domain name, stick to 15 characters or less. Short domain names are easier for people to remember.
Until next time,
Write on, write on, write on!
~ Rebecca
P.S. If you’re interested in coaching with me for screenwriting or Medium writing, email me here anytime.