I’d like to share my experience with sharing my own stories on Ken. I hope you’ll find it helpful and inspiring.
What to write about?
To find a new topic I usually take a couple of minutes to become aware of a question that’s been on my mind lately. Then I pick the question I’m most curious about. Sometimes not a question comes to my mind, but something I experienced recently. Then I reflect on that.
Who to write for?
Who’s going to read my piece? It took me a while to realize that my most important reader is myself. So I have no excuses for not writing anymore. I’ll get to the bottom of that question and come up with ideas on how to answer it. With my arguments, I’m going to convince myself, nobody else.
How to write my text?
I just open a text editor and start drafting. My goal is to write the first paragraph articulating the question and why it is important to me. Usually, that's when ideas start flowing. I keep adding more paragraphs until the text addresses my original question.
Sometimes I’m done writing within an hour. On tough questions, I keep rewriting and reconsidering for days or weeks and end up with a longer piece.
How to publish?
First, I created my account on Ken. I used my real name, but you are welcome to use a pseudonym if you don’t feel comfortable sharing personal stuff online.
Once logged in, I navigate to the “Write” section and click “New story”. A blank document is now shown in the Ken editor. I’m pasting my text there, formatting it, and once it looks good, I hit publish.
Questions?
Below are questions that I’m often asked by people who are trying Ken for the first time.
Is Ken for me?
If you are searching for a safe place to express yourself and make friends, rather than chasing likes, status, and a quick buck, Ken is for you.
What do I get?
Self-expression, honest exchange, and peace of mind. Imagine you post something on the internet and you will never know if zero, one, or thousands of people saw it. Would you still post it? How would that feel?
Is Ken free?
Yes, Ken is 100% free to use and will always be. Our hard currency is insight.
How is Ken different from Medium, Substack, and Reddit?
Ken is all about personal stories and honest exchange. We also don’t track you, there are no ads, no bots, and no algorithms for magically ranking content.
Is Ken moderated?
You fully control your own space. That includes your profile, published content, and conversations linked to your stories. That means you have the exact same power as if you’d host your own blog, except you can’t change how it looks like.
In addition to that, we offer curated listings for selected topics, moderated by volunteers. However, everyone (moderator or not) can be a reviewer by starting a conversation and sharing their feedback.
How will someone find my stories?
The same way you discover other people’s stories: By searching for them actively. On Ken, you’ll find the information you need rather than the information finding you.
That said, all you have to do is focus on your writing and pick a suitable topic to submit to. Then let things take care of themselve.
What’s the catch?
There’s no catch. Ken is a result of my passion for honest knowledge exchange (and computer programming). It takes only few resources to run it. I’ll happily cover the costs out of my own pocket, as long as it serves the purpose.
If you have more questions, please start a conversation below. I’ll respond as soon as possible and improve this text according to your input.
On Ken, we're trying to figure out how the world works — through written conversations with depth and substance.
