The Journey of a 60-Day Writing Challenge

Completing a 60-day writing challenge is often seen as a significant achievement within the writing community, especially among Medium users. I first noticed this milestone celebrated by Sílvia, followed by Ryan's earnings reveal and Daniel's recent reflections. It's uplifting to share this journey with such talented individuals!

How did I transition from a 31-day writing challenge to achieving a 60-day streak? The math is simple: 31 days in January plus 29 days in February equals 60. While it appears straightforward on paper, the reality was quite the opposite. I never anticipated that I could keep writing daily for an additional 29 days.

In hindsight, January was relatively easier since it was a New Year’s resolution I was determined to fulfill. My motivation was high, and with little to lose, I dove right in. For more details about my initial 31-day challenge, feel free to read my previous post.

Interestingly, January was enjoyable until I realized I couldn't retroactively earn money based on my read rates. Consequently, I decided to join the Medium Partner Program in February to explore potential earnings.

Here’s a quick recap of my story stats from January:

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The highest point was on the 12th with 27 views and 15 reads.

February's story stats:

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The peak was on the 7th with 25 views and 14 reads.

When compared, there wasn't much variation in the view/read rates between the two months. Similar to January, there were days in February when I received no views or reads, resembling the fluctuating patterns of a heart rate monitor. However, I did manage to surpass the 100-read milestone a few days ago, which felt like a small victory.

In terms of audience growth, the increase was minimal, but any progress is better than none! During January, I submitted more articles to established publications, whereas in February, I focused on creating my own two publications. While it's still in the early stages, I hope to see them flourish. If you're interested, please consider following or contributing articles; it would mean a lot to me!

Ultimately, I was committed to maintaining my 60-day streak. However, after numerous late-night writing sessions and a decline in views and reads recently, it seems like the right moment to take a break. I believe I’ve established a lifelong writing habit—at least, I hope so! I’m proud of my accomplishments and will gladly share this experience during interviews when asked about my proudest achievements.

Surprisingly, my highest-earning article was one I least expected:

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You can find the article here:

These are my top five articles from February:

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When I combine these with other articles from both January and February, my earnings reflect:

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This sum has covered my membership fees for both months!