Containing nearly every term one afflicted with depression will likely encounter and be required to become familiar with — The conversation on depression has increased and expanded over the past decades. And with that upsurge, we’ve witnessed new concepts and terminologies. I feel it’s important to be aware of them and to be able to differentiate among them. …

I sometimes do that on other platforms as well, but today we’re focusing solely on Medium — When I joined Medium over a year ago I published every alternate day, obsessed over my stats, checked my earnings every day. And I always replied instantly. But as time passed the novelty wore off. Medium became more of a chore than an escape. …

This is when you know you need a break — Ever felt crushed under the weight of the world? Wept you couldn’t take it anymore? Couldn’t carry your body even a step farther? Like a physical force was pinning you to the bed? The pain in your eyes so piercing, the ache in your head so bitter? …

Even though the story wasn’t what I thought it’d be, I ended up loving it anyway — I mostly read spy fiction and psychological thrillers. Grounded, gritty, grim stories. Although I’ve tried deviating now and then, I either can’t focus or stay focused on any other genre. Novels like The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, both an espionage and psychological thriller, are my forte. Every…

A brief history lesson on cinema — Modern cinema’s a wondrous medium that allows us into the blood-pumping world of assassins, the thrilling, passionate arena of sport, the burnt-rubber spectacle of motor racing, and the lives and times of distant galaxies and their inhabitants. With movies nowadays anything’s possible. This has been made possible by the use…

An overview of the merits and demerits of self-publishing to enable new writers to make an informed decision — When I completed my first manuscript in 2018 I felt my work was complete. I was both biologically and mentally young. Now, four years later, I’m a world-weary, exhausted, disillusioned twenty-three-year old who knows more about self-publishing than anybody should have to. But back then I had embarrassingly little knowledge…

Examining the moral implications of remunerating people for their opinions of your work — For famous authors with millions of readers, having their books reviewed is not a separate issue. Since a large number of people read their work, it’s guaranteed a fair share of them will dole out their opinions on Amazon and Goodreads. However, most writers don’t have millions of readers. First-time…

What you can learn from my mistakes — Over my illustrious eight-year career as a chronic mental illness sufferer, I’ve experienced many frightening symptoms and situations. I’ve been through countless patches of suicidal depression, intense everybody-wants-to-harm-me paranoia, long-term insomnia, obsessive-compulsive personality disorder traits, stomach-melting anxiety, and non-suicidal self-harm.

From old school to new, classical to contemporary, these novels will leave you enthralled — Spy thrillers are my favorite fiction genre alongside psychological thrillers. Although that itself wasn’t a “spy” novel, my first Frederick Forsyth novel was The Odessa File. I read it when I was eleven or twelve. …