Index: Writing Tips, Creativity, Inspiration — Paul Ryburn

My most popular articles

Paul Ryburn, M.Sc.

Jan 8·4 min read

How I Escaped From Curation Jail

If such a thing actually exists

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Stop Chasing Followers — Chase This Ultimate Metric Instead

Advice from an award-winning blogger of 17 years

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How to Get 200 Followers in a Relatively Short Time

No, I’m not going to sell you a course or ask you to do anything unethical

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5 Reasons I Don’t Try Very Hard to Get Into Publications on Medium

And 4 reasons why you might not want to what I do

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Why You Should Pin an Index of Your Articles to the Top of Your Profile

You’re leaving money on the table if you don’t

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Boost Your View and Read Rates by Reverse Engineering Top Writers

Use this exercise to learn to think like the pros

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Keep a Folder Full of Idea Snippets

They can help you flesh out an article later on

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Don’t Throw Away 100s of Stimulating Writing Prompts

Stress can lead to hasty decisions. Don’t make the decision I made.

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How to Unearth Fascinating Stories and Support New Writers

The secret to finding the hidden gems on Medium that most readers never see

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New Writers: Quick Tip to Maximize Your Earnings

Hold on to your readers’ attention as long as possible

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When You’re an Authorpreneur, You Manage a Staff of One

Learn to manage yourself when you’re not a natural manager

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How to Get Really Good as a Writer, Really Fast

The story of a band considered third-rate by their peers — how they improved quickly, and how you can too

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How to Find Your Own Writing Style

Study successful writers and imitate their style for a while to develop your own

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When You Don’t Feel Motivated to Write

A brain hack to get your enthusiasm back

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Think Like a Marketer to Increase Your Chance of Getting Distributed

Consider Medium’s objectives when creating your title, subtitle, and content

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A Writing Milestone You Can Reach Right Now

A goal that’s completely in your reach, no matter the stage of your writing career

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The Mistake I Was Making as a Writer

Have you been making it too?

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Stop Checking Your Stats All Day

Do these 5 things instead to fast-track your development as a writer

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How to Silence the Haters in Your Head as You Write

The Internet is full of trolls. Stop using your imagination to create more.

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To Short Form or Not to Short Form — That Is the Question

The pros and cons of using Medium’s newly-promoted (but not new) writing format

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How to Find Creative Inspiration in the Big City

When getting in touch with nature is not an option

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Use Edison-Inspired Brainstorming to Produce Viral Writing Ideas

What does it take to produce one game-changing idea? A Baylor University professor has the answer

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How to Recycle a Previous Writing Topic

Wisdom adapted from inventor Thomas Edison

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I Wrote (and Self-Published) Every Day for 31 Days. Here’s What I Learned

What it’s like to trade “maybe someday” for a big ol’ helping of right now

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My 31-Day Writing Challenge — Lessons Learned 3 Months Later

Looking back on the challenge’s benefits with long-term hindsight

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6 Techniques to Beat Writer’s Block and Generate Ideas

Next time you’re stuck, try one of these

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What to Do When You Don’t Yet See Writing Ideas Everywhere

Train yourself to see situations that are ideal for attracting ideas

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How to Mine Your Past for Writing Ideas

You may not keep your thoughts in a notebook, but there are ways to examine your past

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How Kindle Unlimited Led Me to an Unlikely Source of Article Ideas

A reminder that ideas are everywhere — don’t miss them

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5 Ways My Most Successful Post Broke All The Rules

Of my 30 stories to date, one has accounted for about 40% of my earnings

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Fun Things You Can Do To Overcome Writer’s Burnout

Ways to step away from writing for a short break — while still being productive

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Are Facebook Writing Groups a Waste of Time?

Depends on how much time, and where you are in your journey

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Can We Please Permanently Retire This Image? Please?

I can hear this woman gnawing on her pencil in my sleep

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How To Exploit Pinned Posts And Targeted Reading To Boost Revenue

Writers without niches: This trick works especially well for you

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How to Draw on Your Future Top Writer Self for Inspiration

A motivational story with some teeth to it

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How To Customize Your Best Reading Experience On Medium

Algorithms and editor recommendations will only get you so far. Here’s how to truly make Medium your own.

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31 Writing Prompts You Can Leverage Right Now

Maybe one of these will jar an idea loose

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31 More Writing Prompts You Can Leverage Right Now

Because everyone can use a little inspiration now and then

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Write For Your Readers, Not For Revenge

Save your vendettas for your personal journal. Your readers don’t care.

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How to Overcome Your Fear of Rejection by Publications

It’s not a matter of getting your foot in the door — it’s a different part of your body

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4 Things You Can Do on the Days You Don’t Feel Like Writing

You can still make plenty of progress in your writing career

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Two Psychology-Themed Writing Prompts

What makes people tick?

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How to Get Out of Your Head and Get Unstuck Creatively

Use the powers of objectivity and agency for additional resources

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Never Miss an Idea With This Breakthrough Invention

A clean way to record “A-ha” moments

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Strengthen Your Dream Journal with a Searchable Index

Gain insight into your personal dream symbols. Featuring an assist from alligators.

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