Writing Challenge

The Medium Award Show

Because Great Writing Deserves a Standing Ovation

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Welcome, welcome, welcome.

Pull up a chair. Pour yourself something warm. Maybe a cup of chai, or coffee if that’s your thing.

Tonight, we’re doing something a little different.

No red carpet. No overpriced gift bags. No three-hour-long telecast that somehow still manages to forget the people who actually matter.

Just words, writers, and the quiet magic that happens when someone picks up a pen (or opens a laptop at 2 a.m.) and decides to say something real.

This is The Medium Award Show, a celebration of the people on this platform who make you stop scrolling, read the whole thing, and think, “I wish I wrote that.”

Tonight, we hand out exactly two awards. Two categories. And honestly? That’s enough. Because sometimes the most powerful things in the world come in small, deliberate packages.

So without further ado, let the show begin. 🎤✨

🖊️ Category One: Best Writer

“A good writer doesn’t just tell you a story. They take you by the hand, walk you through it, and somehow — you never want to leave.”

Let’s talk about what separates a good piece of writing from a great one.

It’s not just the vocabulary. It’s not even just the idea.

It’s the structure. It’s the flow. It’s the invisible architecture underneath every sentence that makes you feel like you’re being guided, not dragged, from one thought to the next.

It’s the way a story breathes.

And tonight, this award goes to two writers who have quietly mastered exactly that.

🥇 Parvathi J

If writing were music, Parvathi’s work would be a perfectly composed symphony, every note in its place, every pause intentional, every crescendo earned.

What makes Parvathi’s writing stand apart is how effortlessly it moves. You start reading one paragraph and before you realise it, you’re three paragraphs ahead, and you didn’t even notice the transition. That’s the mark of a truly skilled storyteller: they remove all the friction.

Her stories don’t just inform. They invite you in. They settle you down. And by the time you reach the last line, you feel like you’ve had a full conversation with someone who really, truly gets it.

The structure of her content is never accidental. Every section earns its place. Every heading feels like a gentle nudge forward. Reading her work is less like reading and more like following a well-lit path through a forest; you always know you’re heading somewhere beautiful.

Parvathi J, this one’s for you. 🌿

🥇 Parul Bishnoi ⭑

Now, if Parvathi is a symphony, Parul is a perfectly curated playlist, the kind that somehow always knows exactly what you need to hear next.

Parul brings a certain clarity to her writing that is genuinely rare. In a world full of content that meanders, hedges, and overexplains, her work simply says what it means, and means what it says. Every story has a backbone. Every piece has a point. And the way she formats her writing makes complex ideas feel accessible, digestible, and — dare I say — enjoyable to read.

Her flow is conversational without being casual. Her structure is deliberate without feeling rigid. It’s the kind of writing that respects your time while still making you want to linger.

Reading Parul’s work feels like having a very smart, very calm friend explain something to you over coffee. No jargon. No fuss. Just the thing itself, beautifully presented.

Parul Bishnoi, take a bow. 👏

Both of you have quietly, consistently raised the bar for what good writing looks like on this platform. And for that — truly — thank you.

These nominations are my personal choices. However, I truly adore the writing styles of many of the writers here. Some of them to mention are Sita, Sudeshna Hajra, Ravindra Kumar Karnani, Manmeet Singh Bhatia, ~usmyy, Paulia Dianz ❃, Manisha❁, and others.

✂️ Category Two: Best Editor

“Behind every great piece of writing is an editor who believed in it before it believed in itself.”

Here’s the thing nobody tells you about editing:

It’s not just about fixing grammar. It’s not about cutting the fluff or tightening the prose (though yes, that too).

Editing is about people.

It’s about reading a story that someone poured their heart into and seeing its potential, sometimes before the writer themselves can. It’s about the timing of a response, the warmth of a note, the quiet professionalism of saying, “We’ve got you. Your story has a home here.”

A great editor doesn’t just manage a publication. They build a community. They create a space where writers feel safe to be vulnerable, to experiment, to grow.

Tonight, this award goes to two editors who do exactly that, and do it with extraordinary grace.

🥇 Rishita Sharma💗

Running a publication on Medium is not as glamorous as it sounds. It means reading submissions at odd hours. It means making judgment calls on stories that don’t fit neatly into any box. It means being the person who says yes when a writer needs to hear it, and doing so quickly, so they don’t have to sit in that anxious, waiting limbo that every writer knows too well.

Rishita does all of this — and then some — for Quirky Rants, a publication that has carved out a very specific, very lovable niche on this platform.

What makes Rishita exceptional is her timing. The turnaround for publishing stories is quick — genuinely quick — and that matters more than people realise. In a world where writers often submit and then wait… and wait… and wait… Rishita’s responsiveness is a breath of fresh air. It signals respect. It signals organisation. It signals that she takes both the publication and the writers seriously.

And the way she manages Quirky Rants? It feels less like a publication and more like a warm, slightly chaotic dinner party where everyone is welcome and the conversation is always interesting.

Rishita Sharma — the behind-the-scenes magic of Quirky Rants is no secret anymore. 🎉

🥇 ShubhamAgrawal

Then there’s Shubham — the quiet force behind Writers Circle.

I’ll be honest: managing a publication teaches you things. About scheduling, about communication, about the art of saying “yes, but maybe restructure this a little” without crushing a writer’s spirit. About building something that feels like a community, not just a content pipeline.

And in watching how Writers Circle operates, there’s a lot to learn and admire.

Shubham brings a responsiveness and a thoughtfulness to editing that make Writers Circle a genuinely welcoming space for writers. The quick publishing turnaround is something I’ve noticed firsthand — and something that, as a fellow publication manager, I deeply appreciate. It’s not easy to maintain that pace consistently, and the fact that Shubham does speaks volumes about his dedication.

Writers Circle, under Shubham’s stewardship, has become a place where stories find their audience, and writers find their voice.

I’ve learnt a great deal from observing how Writers Circle is managed — and I hope to carry those lessons forward as we continue building our own space.

Shubham Agrawal, here’s to everything you’ve built, and everything still to come. 🌱

These nominations are my personal choices. However, I truly feel few other editors are quick in responding to story submissions, of which 🌸Preeti Pathak🌸, Kamal, Duol Nhial, and others are equally managing their publications quite effectively.

🎬 And That’s a Wrap

This was the Medium Award Show, small, personal, and entirely unsponsored by anyone.

No algorithms decided these names. No metrics were crunched. No engagement rates were consulted.

Just one writer, one reader, and genuine admiration for the people who show up on this platform and do the work — beautifully, consistently, and with care.

To Parvathi J and Parul Bishnoi — keep writing the way only you can. The internet is a better place for it.

To Rishita Sharma and Shubham Agrawal — thank you for being the editors writers deserve. The ones who are present, responsive, and genuinely invested in the stories they publish.

And to everyone reading this — go find a writer on Medium today who makes you feel something. And tell them. Because in this noisy, scrolling, algorithm-driven world, a kind word from a real reader still means everything.

See you at the next show. 🏆

Written with admiration, and just a little bit of award-show drama.

Tags: #Medium #Writing #Awards #Editors #Writers #MediumAwardShow #WritersCircle #QuirkyRants

This is my submission for this challenge, Monika, and Smriti Pathak