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How to Start a Publication on Fika in 2026 (Blog & Newsletter Guide)
Jan 30 ⎯ Starting a blog or newsletter can feel overwhelming, especially when choosing a platform is already a hurdle. Writing today often comes bundled with algorithms, feeds, and constant pressure to produce more content, faster. It is a lot for anyone who just wants to write. Fika is a platform built with humans in mind. In a world where more and more tasks are delegated to artificial intelligence, we put human writing and writing for humans first. Your voice, your work, and your relationship with readers. You own your content and your community, with no algorithms shaping what you write and no distracting social feed. On Fika, you create a publication, grow an audience of subscribers, and send your writing directly to their inbox. In this article, we’ll show you how to start a publication on Fika. Fika gives you everything you need to start writing Your own publication Your own email newsletter Your own subdomain (your-name.fika.bar) Unlimited subscribers Unlimited image storage Unlimited translation requests Unlimited voice notes Unlimited snippets Unlimited proofreading requests How to get started blogging on Fika Starting out on Fika is easy. We’ve made onboarding simple so you don’t need to worry about setup being difficult. 1. Create an account The first step is to create your free Fika account. You can do this by clicking the link and choosing how you want to create your account. Follow the instructions to create your Fika account. If you use email to sign up, you will be asked to submit a 6-digit code sent to your email inbox. 2. Name your publication Now for the fun part. The second step is naming your publication. Choose something that describes you. When your account is ready, you will be taken to the main Fika dashboard. Congrats on starting your journey on this growing platform! Screenshot of Fika's blogging platform3. Personalize your account Finish setting up your account by going to “Settings” in the top right corner and adding as much personal detail as possible. This will help your readers know what to expect from you and set you apart from other Fika writers. Be sure to hit save when finished. Screenshot of Fika's settings interface with a profile picture, author name, and author bio fields.Scroll down in Settings to set your preferred language. By default, it will be set to English. This step is important for our auto-translation tool to work properly. You will see all translated posts in the language of your preference. Still in Settings, add your social media links. This will make sharing your content and growing your audience across all channels easier. Once you’ve set up your Fika account, you are ready to start exploring our writing features! Start a blog on Fika in the Publication tab From the main dashboard, you will see three tabs: Publication, Notebook, and Subscriptions. Screenshot from Fika's interface showing where you can write, take notes, and check your subscriptionsWe’ll look at all three tabs, but to begin, click on Publication. You’ll be taken to where your writing will come to life. 1. Start a new post Screenshot of Fika's editor and writing interface.2. Add a header image At the top of the page, upload a header image. Choose an image that fits the parameters for the best results. A header image can be used to illustrate or decorate your article. The header image is also how your post appears as a thumbnail when shared on social media and across other pages on Fika. 3. Add a main headline and subtitle to your blog post The main headline will be the title of your post. You can add something that grabs the reader's attention and makes them want to read on. The subtitle can add more context or pose the main question you will be exploring in your writing. In SEO terms, the title will act as a meta title and the subtitle as a meta description. You can change these in the Settings tab using the panel on the right. Fika’s tools help polish your text Once you have written your article, you can use the set of tools in the panel on the right-hand side of the screen. Screenshot showing Fika's blogging toolsMany writers will find our proofreader particularly useful for polishing a text before publishing it. Another great feature is our auto-translation tool, which could help you reach a wider global audience by automatically translating your text to half a dozen different languages. 1. Proofread your text Fika has several tools within the Proofreader that can help you fix grammar mistakes, tighten your writing, and revise your phrasing to improve the flow of your text. Screenshot of Fika's grammar proofreader highlighting issues in the text.You can also use our Lenses to visualize sentence structure to improve rhythm and readability. These tools show reading difficulty and variation in your sentences. Screenshot showing highlighted difficult sentences in the article.2. Translate your article Once you’ve polished your text, you are ready to translate your article into your chosen language. Screenshot of Fika translations.Offering readers the option to view your article in their preferred language helps reach a wider audience. After adding translations and saving your article, it is time to publish and share. 3. Publish and share your article as a newsletter Click Publish in the top right corner to make your new article public. You also have the option to share your publication by email. Make sure to send a test version to yourself before delivering your article to your subscribers' email inboxes. That way you can check whether your article looks the way you intend it to. Share your work on social media after publishing After publishing a post, you’ll see a new sharing screen designed to make distribution easier. This screen helps you quickly preview how your post will look when shared and makes it easier to share your content across social platforms right after publishing. Sharing a link to your publication on social media helps reach new readers. Record voice notes and transcribe them using Notebook The next tab you can access from the main dashboard is the Notebook. It is perfect for jotting down ideas on the go, recording voice notes and transcribing them, and collecting all of your thoughts in a single place. This way, you will never run out of ideas to write about! A screenshot showing transcriptions of voice notes in Fika's notebook.Browse publications to read in your Subscriptions tab The third tab you can access from the main dashboard is where you will find the newest posts from your Subscriptions. Screenshot showing posts from publications you subscribe to in Subcriptions tab on Fika.Fika has even more tools for writers who want to grow their following Fika also has many features designed to help you understand who is reading your publication and help you reach more people organically. Do you already have subscribers on another platform? You can now import and export your contacts on Fika. This makes it easier to bring your audience from other platforms, manage your subscriber list, and keep full control over your data. Understand your audience We’ve introduced Audience view, giving creators a clear way to see and manage their subscribers in one place. It helps you understand who is reading, who is subscribed, and how your audience is growing. Get started and grow your audience on Fika! Start writing today. Share your work, grow your following, and help us create a community on Fika filled with readers interested in human ideas, human insight, and human experience. Create your account and start writing in less than five minutes.
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How to Start a Sports Blog in 7 Steps
Jan 27 ⎯ Starting a sports blog in 2026 is a great way to celebrate your love of sports, share your opinions with a global audience, and even build a potential source of income. Whether you are a fan of a certain team, have been a lifelong follower of a sporting event, or love all sports in general, blogging about sports can give you the perfect platform to connect with others who are just as passionate as you are. Nowadays, many sports blogs exist, and the best blend analysis and commentary with personality and community engagement. Even more interestingly, a lot of them are run by everyday fans, not traditional journalists. Read on for a winning game plan on exactly how to start a sports blog from scratch in seven clear steps. What is a sports blog? Sports blogging is a massive niche in the blogosphere, yet it is still growing. According to research from the University of Michigan, many sports writers at the two largest online sports publications, Yahoo Sports and ESPN Internet, are sport reporters who switched to online in recent years as the newspaper industry began downsizing. A sports blog is a website or online publication dedicated to covering sports topics. This can include breaking news, game analysis, commentary, opinions, rumors, player profiles, and behind-the-scenes insights. Sports blogs differ in writing style, and many of the biggest ones started on non-mainstream sites, written by people without an established sports journalism career. There is no single approach to running a sports blog, but the MVP is constant: a shared love for sports. Why should you start a sports blog? Whether you are breaking down sports statistics, debating plays, or celebrating big wins, starting a sports blog is a great way to turn a passion into a community. It’s the perfect hobby and possibly a great source of income for anyone passionate about sports and writing. How to start a sports blog in 7 steps Starting a sports blog is easy with the right strategy. Here are seven simple steps to take that will take you closer to the finish line. Step 1: Choose your sports blog niche The first step to starting a blog about sports is to choose a niche. While you can write about sports in general, it is usually easier to grow your audience by narrowing down the main topic of your blog. To choose a sports niche, consider the answer to the question: What is my blog about? or even more helpful: What do I want to write about? A few niche ideas for your sports blog: A specific sport like football, basketball, soccer, or MMA A single league (NFL, NBA, Premier League) A blog focused on a specific team Fantasy sports Sports betting analysis Sports culture or sports history Starting a blog takes hard work. Make sure the topic is something you enjoy writing about, otherwise you risk burnout. And remember: just because you started with a certain topic doesn’t mean you can’ t change or fine-tune it later. Step 2: Choose a blogging platform for your sports blog Next, you’ll need a platform to build your blog. A blogging platform is where you write, publish, and manage content. Many bloggers use WordPress or website builders like Wix to create a website that hosts their blog. For this, you will also need to purchase a domain and design your site using a template. Others prefer writing-focused platforms like Substack or Fika. Fika is built for writers who want to focus on writing for people, not algorithms, and growing an audience over time. It lets you create your own online publication and send posts directly to readers as a newsletter. Create a Fika account and start your sports blog today. Step 3: Come up with a name for your sports blog Naming your sports blog is an important step many beginners spend a lot of time on. The name tells people what your blog is about. To come up with a name for your sports blog, think of what your blog is about. If it is about a certain team, use the team's name and something related to it. This is one way that can help you name your blog. If you write primarily about FC Barcelona, you could name your publication "BarcaFan." If your main focus is tennis, you could name your blog "Ready, Set, Serve." And finally, if you cover poker analysis and your name is Alan, you could call your site "All-In Alan." Hopefully you get it and can think of better names! Just remember to make it easy to spell and easy to spell. Step 4: Brainstorm sports blog topics Before writing, plan what you want to write about. Having topic ideas ready makes it easier to stay consistent and keeps your blog focused. Start by thinking about the sports you know well and what your readers would want to read. You can write about current events like games, trades, and injuries, as well as topics that stay relevant over time. Using both keeps your blog interesting and useful. Before writing, take time to plan your content. Have a list of blog topics ready every time you sit down to write to avoid writer's block. It also helps you stay consistent and keeps the main direction of your blog focused. Some sports blog topic ideas: Game recaps Opinions Player rankings Team news and updates Keep a list of ideas to help you stay organized and make writing and publishing consistently easier as your blog grows. Sports audiences often want info on very recent events. Cover topics thoroughly and keep your blog up to date. Step 5: Write and publish content for your blog Once you have your sports blog set up and a list of ideas you want to write about, it’s time to start writing and publishing. Remember these key writing tips: Know your audience and use their language. Provide the information they seek. Avoid clickbait titles without delivering on your promise. Be clear and engaging when covering any topic. Break large paragraphs into shorter ones for easy scanning. Most importantly, when starting a blog, try to enjoy every step of the process. Attracting your audience will take some time, so be patient with yourself. An adult woman leaving a sports center with a notebook and a sports bag.Step 6: Share your blog to promote it Creating content for your blog is only half the job. Every time you publish an article, remember to share it to get the word out. The easiest way to share your writing is by social media. Other tools like Fika also offer a newsletter feature which makes sending articles to subscribers by email easy. Other ways to promote a sports blog include: Use word of mouth: tell your friends about your project and share it. They will be your biggest fans in the early days of starting your blog. Join sports forums: connect with other sports fans and link to your blog, but follow community guidelines to avoid looking spammy. Use social media: take advantage of other social media platforms by commenting and creating content there as well. Promoting your blog helps grow a following of sports lovers like yourself. Once you know where to find them, it will be easier to introduce them to your blog. Step 7: Make money sports blogging The final step of creating a sports blog, once you start generating online traffic, is to monetize it. There are many ways to make money with sports blogging, but here are the most common methods: Run ads on your blog Write sponsored posts Use affiliate links Add a paid subscription tier for readers Monetizing your blog takes a bit of time, so remember to focus on the other steps first. Build trust with your readers and give them something valuable in return for their support. What to include in your sports blog? What to include in your sports blog depends on your niche and your audience, but make sure to cover the basics. Think of everything you would want to see on a blog as a sports fan or someone searching for that specific niche. You should have a well-written and clear blog introduction, and make sure to follow best practices for writing blog posts. You want your readers to know who you are and why they should read your blog. In terms of monetization, make sure you give your readers something in return for their support. It should be something of value they cannot get elsewhere or as free readers of your blog. For a sports blog, that something can be more of your writing, more detailed analysis, videos, or a podcast, or something along those lines. Now grow your blog! The seven steps above will help you start your own sports blog. Focus on writing articles you would want to read and promoting your blog to grow it. Publish articles consistently, grow your email list, and attract the right audience to get subscribers. Happy writing! Remember to create a Fika account today to try our features.
- blogging
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Is Your Writing Monotonous? Sentence Length Could Be the Culprit
Jan 26 ⎯ Have you ever read something that was correct and made sense, but still felt boring? The problem might not be your ideas, it could be your sentence length. When all your sentences are about the same length, your writing can feel flat and repetitive. Even if your grammar is perfect, it can be hard for to keep your reader interested. Think of writing like music. Notes that are all the same length sound boring. But if you mix short, medium, and long notes, the music comes alive. The same is true for sentences. Changing sentence length gives your writing rythm The length of a sentence affects how your writing sounds and feels to your reader. Short sentences are quick, clear. They can grab the reader’s attention. Medium sentences explain ideas more fully. They hold your readers hand and lead them into your text. Long sentences build tension, describe something in detail, or add emphasis to the point you are about to make. If all your sentences are the same length, the writing becomes predictable and monotonous. Your reader’s brain wants variety, it likes surprises in rhythm and pacing. A classic example from Gary Provost Writer Gary Provost shows this perfectly in his book 100 Ways to Improve Your Writing. A visualization of sentence length showing how using short, medium, and long sentences together creates rythm and interest in writing well.Let’s take a closer look at the first passage: This sentence has five words. Here are five more words. Five-word sentences are fine. But several together become monotonous. Listen to what is happening. The writing is getting boring. The sound of it drones. It’s like a stuck record. The ear demands some variety. Notice how each sentence is short and about the same length? Reading this, you can almost hear the rhythm drone. Even though the sentences are correct, they are repetitive. Now see what happens when Provost changes sentence lengths in the next paragraph: Now listen. I vary the sentence length, and I create music. Music. The writing sings. It has a pleasant rhythm, a lilt, a harmony. I use short sentences. And I use sentences of medium length. And sometimes when I am certain the reader is rested, I will engage him with a sentence of considerable length, a sentence that burns with energy and builds with all the impetus of a crescendo, the roll of the drums, the crash of the cymbals, sounds that say listen to this, it is important. And again, Provost ends with this advice: So write with a combination of short, medium, and long sentences. Create a sound that pleases the reader’s ear. Don’t just write words. Write music. When sentence lengths vary, writing feels alive. It has rhythm, energy, and keeps the reader interested. Examples of Monotony vs. Variety To demonstrate, here’s an example of a few monotonous sentences. The storm started in the afternoon. The wind grew stronger. The rain fell harder. The streets flooded. All sentences are short and similar. The rhythm is the same, so the paragraph feels flat. Let’s take a look at how we can make the text more interesting by varying the sentence length: The storm started in the afternoon. As the wind grew stronger and the rain fell harder, the streets quickly flooded. The residents tried to reach higher ground. They feared the rising water. By nightfall, the town had learned how quickly nature could change what had once been familiar. This version mixes short, medium, and long sentences. The rhythm changes, which makes the paragraph easier to read and more interesting. By mixing short and long sentences, you control the reader’s pace and attention. How to Fix Sentence-Length Monoton Here are some simple tips to fix monotony in your sentences, but remember that these are not rules set in stone and everything depends on what you are trying to achieve with your writing. Mix short, medium, and long sentences: Short sentences grab attention. Long sentences explain or build tension. Break up long sentences: If a sentence drags and doesn’t sound right, split it into two or three. Combine short sentences carefully: If two short sentences repeat the same idea, join them into a medium-length sentence. Read your writing out loud: If it sounds like a steady drumbeat with no variation, it is too monotonous. Use sentence length for emphasis: Short sentences make something sound urgent. Long sentences slow the pace, build excitement, and add gravitas. Use Fika’s Proofreader to Check Your Sentence Length Fika proofreader highlighting writing monotony in the editor.When you write with Fika, you can check your writing with our proofreader before publishing it. It can: Analyze your text and visualize sentence structure, showing where sentences are too short, too long, or repetitive. Give recommendations to fix grammar, tighten your writing, and improve the flow of your text. Suggest ways to improve rhythm and clarity, making your prose more varied and easier to read. Assess how difficult your writing is to read and how varied your sentence lengths are, so you can spot monotony before anyone else does. Proofreader highlighting difficult text in red.Sentence length might seem small, but it has a huge effect on how your writing feels. If every sentence is the same, the writing drags. By mixing short, medium, and long sentences, you create writing that moves, flows, and even “sings.” Think of your sentences as music notes. Make them different lengths. Make them rhythmical. Make your writing enjoyable to read. Fika is a platform that allows you to create a publication you can share with your readers by email. It also has a built-in proofreader that can highlight where your writing is monotonous so you can fix it. Create a free account and start writing on Fika, a new platform for writers of all kinds to publish their work!
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January 2026 updates on Fika
Jan 23 ⎯ Over the past weeks, we’ve shipped a few improvements focused on making Fika easier to use, easier to read, and easier to grow with. Here’s what’s new ⬇️ Import & export contacts You can now import and export your contacts on Fika. This makes it easier to bring your audience from other platforms, manage your subscriber list, and keep full control over your data. Audience view We’ve introduced an Audience view, giving creators a clearer way to see and manage their subscribers in one place. It helps you understand who’s reading, who’s subscribed, and how your audience is growing. A better reader product Readers can now: Read content directly from Fika Manage their subscriptions Access everything they follow from a single place This makes Fika a more complete reading experience, not just a publishing tool. Recommendations We’ve added recommendations, helping readers discover new publications and helping creators reach new audiences organically. Social sharing After publishing a post, writers now see a new sharing screen designed to make distribution easier. This screen helps you quickly preview how your post will look when shared and makes it easier to share your content across social platforms right after publishing. Improved design We’ve made several design improvements across the product, refining navigation, layouts, and key flows to make everything feel calmer and more consistent. SEO improvements We also shipped SEO improvements that help publications be indexed more accurately and discovered more easily over time. Stability improvements Alongside these updates, we fixed a number of bugs and small issues across the product to make everything more reliable and smoother to use. No action needed on your side, things should just feel better. We’re building Fika in the open, and your feedback matters. If you have ideas, notice bugs, or want to share your thoughts, join the conversation in our Reddit community: 👉 https://www.reddit.com/r/fikaofficial/ Have a great day, and keep writing. A little every day goes a long way for your brain.
- changelog
- update
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How to Make Money Writing
Jan 22 ⎯ Many people love writing but do not see it as a real way to earn income. The truth is, writing can be a flexible and rewarding way to make money if you approach it the right way. Today, there are more opportunities than ever to get paid for writing, both online and offline. Whether you dream of building a full-time writing career or just want to earn extra income on the side, learning how to make money writing is an essential skill for any writer to learn. You might be wondering: How can I use my writing skills to make money? Or even, how do authors make money in the first place? The answer depends on your goals, your writing style, and how willing you are to learn the business side of writing. Some writers focus on blogs and articles, others write books, poetry, or short stories, and many make money freelancing for clients. In this guide, we’ll explore step by step how to make money writing. You’ll learn how to choose a niche, find the right platforms, grow an audience, and turn your writing into income. Writing for money is not about getting rich overnight. It’s about building skills, knowing what you want, staying consistent, and choosing the right ways to earn money by writing. Step 1: Choose a Niche to Make Money Writing One of the biggest mistakes new writers make is trying to write about everything. Choosing a blog topic is one of the most important steps if you want to make money writing. A niche is a specific topic or area you focus on, such as personal finance, health, parenting, technology, travel, or creative writing. Focusing on a niche makes it easier to attract the right readers. People are more likely to pay attention to writers who clearly know what they are talking about. This is true whether you want to make money writing online, creating articles for websites, or building a long-term writing career. Ask yourself: What do I enjoy writing about? What do I already know a lot about? What topics are people willing to pay for? For example, if you enjoy storytelling, you might focus on writing short stories that people will pay to read. If you like teaching or explaining ideas, you could write how-to articles in your field of study. Choosing a niche doesn’t lock you in forever. Many writers expand or change their focus over time. But starting with one clear niche helps you build confidence, improve faster, and understand how to earn money by writing more effectively. Step 2: Choose a Platform to Make Money Writing Online Once you’ve chosen a niche, the next step is choosing the right platform. A platform is where your writing lives and how people find and pay for it. Different platforms support different ways to earn money, so it’s important to pick one that fits your goals. Some options include: Content Platforms and Publications Platforms like Fika give you an online space to share your writing, grow your audience, and offer paid subscriptions. It is easy to get started, and if you publish consistently and share your publication using social media and email, you can soon start making money with your writing online. Create a Fika account and start writing today. If you publish every week and invite your friends to follow you, you can start building your audience quickly. Your Own Blog or Website Starting a blog is a similar way to make money writing. A blog gives you control over your content, audience, and income streams. You can monetize through ads, affiliate links, or digital products. This approach also takes time, but it’s one of the most reliable ways to earn income from writing. Freelance Writing Platforms Freelancing allows you to earn money writing right away. Freelance platforms connect writers with clients who pay for articles, emails, and blog posts. Start with small jobs, build a portfolio, and increase your rates as your skills improve. Many writers use freelance work as a stepping stone to a full-time writing career. Book and Self-Publishing Platforms If you enjoy long-form writing, self-publishing can provide ongoing royalties from eBooks, print books, or audiobooks. Nonfiction guides, novels, or short story collections can all generate income. Success varies, but some books continue earning for years. Choosing the right platform depends on your goals. Some writers focus on one, while others combine several to create a steady income. Step 3: Know Your Audience to Earn Money by Writing To make money from writing, you must understand who your readers are. Knowing your audience helps you create content people want to read and pay for. Ask yourself: Who is my ideal reader? What problems do they have? What content helps them most? For example, if you want to make money writing blogs, your audience may be people searching for answers online. If you want to get paid to write fiction, your audience may be readers who enjoy stories. Freelancers often write for business owners or editors. Understanding your audience makes your writing more valuable. It increases your chances of earning income and turning readers into loyal followers or clients. Step 4: Publish New Content Regularly Consistency is one of the most overlooked parts of making money writing. Many writers produce a few pieces, see no instant results, and give up. In reality, income, especially as an online writer, grows over time. Publishing regularly helps you: Improve writing skills Build trust with readers Increase visibility online Create more opportunities to earn money by writing. Whether you post weekly or monthly, the key is consistency. Search engines, readers, and clients favor writers who show up regularly. This applies to both online platforms and freelance work. The more you write, the more you learn, and the higher your potential to earn. Step 5: Grow Your Reader Base to Make Money Writing After publishing regularly, the next step is growing your audience. Your readers turn writing into income. More readers mean more opportunities to get paid. Ways to grow your audience include: Share Everywhere: Post your work on social media, writing communities like Fika, email newsletters, and forums related to your niche. Fika is a space where creative writers connect with readers and other writers, which can help you reach new supporters. Ask Readers to Share: Encourage readers to share posts, stories, or articles. Even a simple invitation like, “If you enjoyed this, please share it,” can expand your reach for free. Keeping things simple is best so you don't put people off by coming across as too pushy. Engage With Your Community: Respond to comments, participate in discussions, and join writing groups. Active engagement helps readers feel connected and more likely to support you financially. Growing an audience takes time, but a loyal following is one of the most reliable ways to earn money writing. A writer sitting with book club members in a bookstore.Step 6: Introduce a Paid Tier to Get Paid for Writing Once you have readers who enjoy your work, the next step is adding a paid tier. Many writers struggle with charging for content, but if your writing entertains, educates, or inspires, it has value. The key is balance. Keep publishing free content to attract new readers while offering paid options for loyal supporters. Platforms like Fika can help you manage subscriptions or paid content without losing free audience engagement. What to Include in a Paid Tier To get paid for writing, offer something extra. Options include: Exclusive Q&As on writing, publishing, or your niche In-depth book reviews Group coaching or mentoring Premium podcast episodes Checklists, templates, or guides Private Zoom calls or writing sessions Video interviews with experts or writers Paid content works best when it complements your free material and rewards readers who value your work. Ready to make money writing? Making money writing is not about luck or overnight success. It takes hard work, and you must keep at it until you succeed. Success does not look the same for everyone. By choosing a niche, picking the right platform, understanding your audience, publishing regularly, growing your reader base, and offering paid content, you can turn your writing into a real income stream. Whether you want to earn extra income or build a full-time writing career, every step matters. Remember, writing is a journey. Stay curious, keep improving, and enjoy the process. If you stick to it, you can create a writing career that not only pays but fulfills you. Start writing on Fika and invite your friends to follow your publication to get started.
- blogging
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Blog Topics: A List of the Best Topics to Use in Blogging
Jan 21 ⎯ Starting a blog begins with one important decision: choosing what you want to write about. Your blog topic shapes everything from the audience you attract to the type of content you create over time. While there are countless directions you can take when choosing a blog topic to write about, the most successful blogs usually start with a clear focus and a genuine interest in the subject. In this guide, we explore what a blog topic is, how to generate blog topic ideas, and how to break a broad blog idea into smaller, manageable themes. We also share a list of popular blog topics to help you find inspiration and choose a direction that fits your interests and goals as a writer starting a publication on Fika. What is a blog topic? The first step to creating a blog is finding a main topic for your blog. This is what your blog will be about. Some topics may have more competition than others, but finding topics you want to cover in your writing and covering them better than others, or from your own unique perspective, will set you apart from the competition. How to generate blog topics Creating a blog and writing enough articles to fill it with content takes a lot of time and effort. The easiest way to avoid burning out is to choose a blog topic that genuinely interests you. In other words, choose a topic you are already passionate about. To begin, write a list of topics that interest you. The next step in coming up with blog topic ideas is to break your main topic, your blogging niche, down into smaller subtopics. Read on to learn how to brainstorm blog topics. Breaking down your main blog topic idea into smaller topics For example, if your main topic is food, you can break it down into cooking and baking as two main topics, or choose other ways of categorizing the content on your blog. You could break your main topic, “cooking,” down into categories based on cuisines, such as Italian, French, Korean, American, and so on. Another way to divide your main blog topic, food, into smaller subtopics is by dish type: starters, soups, first courses, second courses, main courses, and desserts. A library overflowing with booksBreaking your main blog topic down into a list of smaller blog topics helps you in two ways. First, you can choose a smaller niche for your blog, which makes it easier to enter a very large topic without feeling overwhelmed. Second, creating a list of blog topics gets you halfway to building a content calendar for your blog. What are the best blog topics to write about? Besides choosing a topic you are passionate about, many other factors influence what you should write about. We have put together a list of popular blog topics for you to choose from, but remember this list is not exhaustive, and there is always more to explore in your writing. The list of blog topics below can be a great starting point for discovering topics other Fika users are interested in. A list of the best topics to use in blogging Food, cooking & recipes: blog topics to sate your appetite Food is a popular topic that many bloggers have covered, but many more people are interested in reading about it. If you are a chef or passionate about gastronomy, you can start writing about your favorite cooking methods or what inspires you in the kitchen. Nowadays, a good blog should not only share information about a topic, but also add something personal. That is what sets human writing apart from AI answers. People looking for food-related topics will love learning cooking methods and trying recipes, but your true readers will be more interested in you. How did cooking your grandmother’s recipe for the first time make you feel? What dish do you remember from family vacations in your childhood? What recipe will you pass down to your children? Have you ever cooked something for a neighbor? How did that go? Stories about cooking and eating food are something all of us can relate to, so start writing on Fika and share your experiences. Sports: a competitive blog topic Sports is another popular blog topic for a good reason. Like food, sports connect us as humans. Whether you write about your own achievements in sport or share your insights on upcoming sporting events, sports is a blog topic where you will never run out of things to write about. Fashion & clothing: topics that would look great on your blog Writing about fashion and clothing has been many people’s dream since Carrie Bradshaw and The Girl in the Green Scarf. Although many blogs already cover this topic, there is always room for more. Once you find your angle and add your personal touch, you will begin writing in no time. Readers interested in fashion crave human insight. Write about how you see fashion evolving in everyday life or about changes in your personal style. Be sure to add images to illustrate your posts. Fitness: a blog topic that will help you stay in shape Fitness is another popular topic for bloggers, although many people now document their fitness journeys on Instagram or YouTube instead. However, it may be time to return to writing about this topic. Share your personal fitness tips with readers and let them follow your transformation journey. This topic often goes hand in hand with nutrition, which is another niche of its own. Literature, books, and reading: a bookish topic for a blog Blogs give writers and their fans a great place to connect and create a second source of income. If you love reading, this blog topic offers endless blog topic ideas. You can review books, share reading lists, analyze characters, or write about how certain stories shaped you at different stages of your life. Readers who search for popular blog topics like books are often looking for recommendations, but they stay for personality. Why did a certain novel change the way you think? Which book did you reread during a difficult time? What story made you fall in love with reading in the first place? These reflections can turn simple posts into some of the best blog topics in this niche. Many writers even start their own book club. Publish posts on Fika to share your progress and send newsletters; these are a great way to build your community. Reviews: a topic that begs for your opinion Review blogs remain one of the most popular blog topics because people always look for guidance before making decisions. This blog topic works well if you enjoy testing, comparing, and sharing honest opinions. You can review products, services, apps, or experiences, making it easy to build a long list of blog topics over time. Strong reviews go beyond features and ratings. Readers value blog topic suggestions that include real-life use and personal insight. How did something new you tried fit into your routine? Would you do it again? Honest answers help build trust and encourage readers to return. Photography: a flashy topic for a blog Photography is a creative blog topic that combines visual storytelling with personal experience. If you are looking for blog topic ideas that allow you to express yourself, photography is a strong choice. You can share tips, document your progress, or tell the stories behind your images. Some of the best blog topics in photography focus on the reason behind the image rather than the technical details. Why did that moment matter to you? What emotion were you trying to capture? These details help transform a photo blog into something memorable. You can also combine photography with other topics, such as travel, fashion, or cooking. As a photographer, you are likely present on several platforms. Write something on Fika to share with your followers, showing them the person behind the images. A written publication is a great way to connect with your audience. Mom blog: a blog topic you can grow with Mom blogs are among the most popular blog topics because they reflect real life in all its complexity. While cooking and caring for kids are common starting points, this blog topic offers much more. Parenting, relationships, personal growth, and daily challenges all provide endless blog topic ideas. Readers appreciate honest blog topic suggestions that reflect both joy and struggle. What surprised you most about motherhood? What lessons did you learn the hard way? Sharing real experiences helps build a strong, supportive community. Journalism: blog topics to make headlines Many journalists turn to blogging to explore stories they feel passionate about or to write with more freedom. This blog topic allows you to focus on news, share opinions, give updates on investigations, or explore niche subjects often missing from mainstream media. For writers searching for blog topic ideas, journalism consistently appears on lists of blog topics with long-term impact. Readers value depth, accuracy, and thoughtful perspectives. Travel: a blog topic that will take you places Travel is one of the best blog topics for storytelling. Whether you travel often or only occasionally, this topic offers unlimited ideas. You can write about destinations, cultures, food, mishaps, and even personal discoveries along the way. Among popular blog topics, travel stands out because it combines practical advice with emotional connection. What place changed you and how? What went wrong and taught you something unexpected? These stories make travel blogs relatable and inspiring. As you travel the world, you need a way to send regular updates to your followers. Start writing on Fika and share your publication with your readers by email. Gaming: the blog topic final boss? Gaming is a huge blog topic with a very specific audience. From reviews and walkthroughs to industry news and personal experiences, gaming offers endless blog topic ideas. It consistently appears on any list of blog topics aimed at younger audiences. What makes gaming one of the best blog topics is enthusiasm. Sharing why a game matters to you connects with others and turns simple posts into engaging content. Add screenshots from your gameplay and link videos to make the most of this type of blog topic. Read Dani Moreno’s post Only One Run about what gaming taught him about life. (dazlog) Technology: the topic that makes blogging possible Technology is a blog topic that never stops giving you more to write about. If you enjoy explaining complex ideas simply, this is one of the best blog topics to explore. You can write about gadgets, apps, trends, or how technology shapes everyday life. Many blog topic suggestions in tech focus on usefulness, but personal experience matters just as much. How did a new tool improve your workflow? What technology do you rely on daily? These insights make tech content more human and accessible. Two great examples of this type of blog come from our team at Fika: Check out Jordi Robert’s series of posts on Building in Public about how Fika is being built and the publication by Pao Ramen on how he started Fika and how he created a game called Whatajong for his children. Personal blog: you are the topic A personal blog can combine multiple interests into one flexible blog topic. It is perfect for writers who do not want to limit themselves to a single niche. Personal blogs often grow naturally as interests and experiences change. If you are looking for blog topic ideas that allow complete freedom, this is one of the best blog topics to start with. Personal stories, reflections, and lessons learned resonate with a wide audience and allow your writing to create meaningful connection with your readers. Found your blog topic? Choosing a blog topic is not about finding a perfect idea, but one you can grow with. The best blog topics allow you to write consistently, share personal experiences, and connect with readers authentically. As your blog evolves, your topic can too, expanding into new areas as your interests and expertise grow. Use this list of blog topics as a starting point, but do not limit yourself. Write to explore different angles, test new ideas, and pay attention to what excites you most when you write. Do not overthink too much. When you choose a topic you truly care about, blogging becomes easier, more enjoyable, and far more sustainable in the long run. Start writing on Fika and connect with your readers.
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Fika Audience Growth Challenge Results: Runners-Up and What We Learned
Jan 20 ⎯ After one month of writing, sharing, experimenting, and paying close attention to our community of writers and readers, the Audience Growth Challenge has officially come to an end. This challenge ran from December 10, 2025, to January 9, 2026, and asked writers to focus on something many of us struggle with: not just publishing, but growing an audience. Unlike the previous challenge, this one wasn’t about consistency or volume when it comes to publishing your work. There was no minimum number of posts you had to publish in order to take part. The single metric that mattered this time around was simple: How many new subscribers did your writing generate? The outcome This time, no participant reached the 25 new subscribers required to qualify as a finisher and winner. And that’s okay. In fact, that result tells us something important. Audience growth is hard. It is often slower than we want. It rarely follows the effort you invest in a straight line. And learning how to reach new readers takes more than one month of trying. That said, several writers came very close, and their results deserve to be highlighted. Top subscriber growth during the challenge Here are the writers who generated the most new subscribers during the challenge window, making them the runners-up in this challenge. A screenshot of an excel sheet showing the growth challenge runners-upEach of these writers managed to turn casual readers into people who actively chose to subscribe, which is the hardest part of audience building. Thank you for taking part in the challenge Although neither of the 6 writers above reached the goal of acquiring 25 new subscribers, we would like to give the writer who came closest a consolation prize as a token of our admiration. The prize goes to… En el Bosque, who published 8 posts and acquired 13 new subscribers during the challenge! Image of the cover of the book Contagious by Jonah BergerEn el Bosque has been writing and publishing consistently on Fika for the past month. We enjoy reading their short personal essays and even short stories on topics related to family, memory, and the magic of the Three Kings. Their prize? A copy of Contagious by Jonah Berger. An explanation of why certain content spreads and how to increase your chances. A useful book for online creators and very closely tied to the theme of this challenge. We will be in touch with you regarding your prize in the next few days. Well done. What this challenge revealed This challenge wasn’t easy. And it turned out to be a great opportunity to learn something about building an audience.' Over the month, writers experimented with: Different ways of sharing posts Writing with a clear reader in mind Inviting readers to subscribe more intentionally Observing what did not work as much as what did For many, this was the first time they paid close attention to how their writing reaches the reader once it leaves Fika's editor. Understanding this process alone is progress toward knowing how to grow an audience in the future. A few things we learned that help attract and grow an audience: Writing and publishing consistently over time gives readers a reason to subscribe to your publication. Clear ideas lead to clear expectations. This doesn’t mean that you necessarily have to stick to a single niche when choosing topics, but it is something to take into consideration when building an audience: what are my readers interested in? Human connection is the reason we are here. The value of human connection cannot be underestimated in a world increasingly dependent on AI and automation. Learning how to invite readers without pressure strikes the perfect balance between pushing just enough, but not too much to put would-be readers off with constant self-promotion. These skills don’t fully form in 30 days, but they do start there. To everyone who participated Thank you for showing up. Even if you published one post. Especially if you felt shy sharing your work publicly for the first time. Even if the number of people reading and subscribing to your publication felt small. Every subscriber gained during this challenge represents a real person who said, "I want to read more of this." And that matters. Writing is the beginning. Learning how to help your work find its readers is the next step and you took it. Keep writing and sharing your work and your audience will find you. What’s next A new Fika Challenge will be announced soon. New theme. New constraints. Another opportunity to experiment and keep learning. Until then, keep publishing. Keep sharing. Keep inviting readers to your publication. Every time you hit publish and share your publication on social media, you give your audience one more way to find you and become a subscriber. If you are new to Fika, sign up and start publishing your work. Fika is a growing platform of writers where they can share their work and connect with an audience hungry for human writing.
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How to Stop Overthinking as a Writer
Jan 16 ⎯ Overthinking is the hidden enemy of creativity. It locks up imagination, stops spontaneity, and turns the fun of exploring ideas into a cycle of doubt and self-criticism. In this article, we’ll take a look at how you can stop overthinking and free yourself from negative thoughts in order to write better and write more. Be kind to yourself To begin with, we must be kinder to ourselves as writers. When we overthink and criticize ourselves while chiseling every letter onto paper, we can be extremely unkind. Even less kind than we would be to our peers. Putting yourself down at every step of the creative process is counterintuitive. It won't help you produce better work. If anything, it will hold you back from letting your thoughts soar and putting words on paper. Let yourself write without judging yourself every single step of the way. Let go of negative thoughts; focus on the task at hand and let your mind wander. "The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt," — Sylvia Plath No matter what you do for a living, you're a writer. It doesn’t matter what your job title is, or what you studied in school, you write every day, in some form, whether it be email, texts, or social posts. You write; that makes you a writer. Your only task as a writer is to write, so instead of finding excuses why you shouldn’t, or could never write, go do it instead. Seperate your editing from your writing On a similar note, a big mistake many writers make is editing while writing—the biggest manifestation of overthinking in a writer’s world. If you fret over every single word that pops into your mind (Is it the right word? Is there a better word to use? Let me open a thesaurus…) you will never get any work done as a writer. There is a reason we have editors; a second pair of eyes not only sees more, but relieves the writer from dissecting their own work. But even if you self-edit, you should make a conscious choice to separate the two roles: write first, then wait before taking out your red pen to go through the manuscript again as an editor. Let what you wrote breathe a bit before coming in to rework it. Always remember that even the most famous writers started somewhere. They also started with a salad of notes and rough first drafts, and built their great works from there. Good writing takes a great amount of time. “The first draft of anything is shit.” — Ernest Hemingway Overthinking comes from the fear of being judged. When we worry about every detail, every possible outcome, or what others might think, we create a mental trap for ourselves as writers. Questions like “Is this good enough to publish?” or “What if no one reads this?” may feel appropriate, but they often make us freeze. Creativity needs freedom. Ideas are rarely perfect when they first appear. They are often rough and incomplete. Simply expecting them to be fully formed before starting to unpack them is a sure way to get stuck. By the time an idea feels “ready” to be shared, the original spark that made it exciting may already be gone. And if we never feel ready to hit publish, we will never know what others think of our work, or more importantly, what our work means to others. Even Hemingway knew that the key to writing well is getting it out as a first draft and revising it from there. Waiting for something to be flawless often means nothing ever gets done. So don’t overthink your writing the first time around. Get it on paper, give it some time, and work from there. Find ways to enjoy the process Writing can be a very difficult and fragile process, especially for an overthinker. In order to stay sane while writing, it’s important to find ways to enjoy the process. Try new things. Let intuition take the reins for a while. Throw away the rules and write freely. Perhaps try the writing habits of your favorite authors to see what works for you. Having your own habits is fine, and it can usually be very beneficial for productivity to write in the same place at the same time, for example, but if you feel stuck in your routine, it may be time to switch things up a bit. You can stop your overthinking by trying new things. For example, if you always write alone in your bed you can try going to a café in another part of town to see what thoughts that inspires. Or if you usually write after work in the evening, you can try waking up earlier to see how productive you are at sunrise. Another option may be to join a writing club or online community to share your work. Give yourself time to write Overthinking isn’t the only challenge writers face, of course. It’s also a lack of time. Trying to fit your writing career into your life next to a full-time career doing something else that you need in order to make a living is difficult. You are not alone—many writers have struggled to make ends meet while needing to feed their family. However, if you make it a point to find the time, you will be successful. Consistently put that time aside to write and you will make progress. Even if it is during your 30-minute commute to work or an hour in the evening after you have finished all the other things you had to do, you should congratulate yourself for giving yourself some writing time. Make writing a habit Along those same lines, writing becomes easier once you’ve built good writing habits. Putting aside time every day, preferably around the same time every day, and eliminating distractions, especially distractions in the form of negative internal monologues disparaging every sentence you write, helps reduce overthinking. A practical way to overcome overthinking is writing in timed sessions and writing often. Sit down, set a timer, and start writing with one goal only: write freely until the timer ends. The result will be a rough draft. You can then take a break and revisit your draft, edit it a bit, and share it. See how it makes you feel to share your work with your community. Better a diamond with a flaw than a pebble without one. — Chinese proverb Overthinking is the result of a fear of constant judgment. Social media, performance metrics, and comparison make us anxious. “Will people like this? Will I be judged? What if it fails?” Creativity needs us to let go of these fears. Expressing ourselves through writing helps ideas take shape. And writing is a constant practice, a habit. You may make mistakes, but mistakes are not the end. They are steps toward improvement. As you repeat this task, writing will become easier as overthinking shrinks away. Share your work First drafts, rough sketches, and prototypes are not failures just because they are imperfect. If everyone waited for perfection before creating anything, we would not have much of the art, writing, or inventions we have today. Overthinking equates imperfection with failure and stops us from taking the first step, sharing our ideas no matter how rough. Overthinking tries to eliminate flaws before what you have created stands on its own, but your ideas and your work are ready to be shared before you feel they are ready to be put out there. Without action, ideas remain stuck. Waiting for the perfect version of something you have written before sharing guarantees no one will read it. Perfect is the enemy of good. — Voltaire Creativity is a process. Put something out there and see how the audience reacts. Overthinking does not prevent failure. It prevents doing anything at all. An artist staring at a blank canvas, a writer stuck on the first paragraph, or a designer delaying a prototype are all trapped by overthinking. Sharing your work, no matter how imperfect, is what starts the process. You share your work, you get feedback, you see how your work resonates with others, and you write more and share your work again. Feedback and discussion give ideas new perspectives and energy. Overthinking keeps ideas isolated, stopping them from becoming what they could be. Give them the third-best to go on with; the second-best comes too late; the best never comes. — Sir Robert Watson-Watt In conclusion, overthinking blocks creativity. Focusing too much on judgment and perfection traps ideas before they can be tested or shared. Creativity requires action, engagement, and courage. Share your ideas, involve others, and let them grow. Start with what you have, share your work with your community, and see how your ideas develop. For practice, start writing and sharing your thoughts on Fika.
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Growth Challenge Update: Writers, Momentum, and New Ways to Share
Dec 19 ⎯ The growth challenge is moving forward, and something is clear already. People are not just writing, they are showing up consistently, experimenting with ideas, and sharing pieces that feel personal and honest. Over the last days, new posts have been published across very different topics and styles. Some are deeply introspective, others playful or analytical, but all of them reflect the same thing: a real writing habit in motion. A small update to help your writing travel further Before diving into the posts, a quick product update. We just released social share buttons on every post. The goal is simple: make it easier for your writing to leave your page and reach new readers. Sharing your work should not feel like marketing. One click is enough to send a post to social platforms, chats, or anywhere your audience already is. For many writers in the challenge, distribution is the hardest part. This feature is meant to remove a bit of that friction. What participants have been publishing Here are some of the pieces published during the last days of the challenge: Aybee reflects on the tension between their inner self and outer persona, using the “innie vs outie” metaphor to explore identity, conflict, and self-perception. https://aybee.fika.bar/my-innie-vs-my-outie-the-war-01KC8TZSVNRSSJATBW4HCQM9S6 Draper Giggs writes about personal change and disconnection from a past self, reflecting on identity, growth, and the feeling of no longer recognizing who you used to be. https://drapergiggs.fika.bar/este-ya-no-soy-yo-01KCKXEVB2RH6WS36SCTQW7N2V Eliseo shares a reflection on rejection and unrealized potential, using the experience of not making the draft as a way to explore frustration, resilience, and self-doubt. https://eliseo.fika.bar/no-paso-del-draft-01KCA2V2C9GECVCH0HFND1AG61 Goldenfish argues that skills learned at work extend far beyond the job itself, explaining how professional habits shape personal growth, relationships, and everyday life. https://goldenfish.fika.bar/work-skills-are-life-skills-01KCMPRWX04RK53D5Z4T2MG417 Isabella reflects on loss and fragmentation, using torn pages as a metaphor for memory, absence, and what cannot be fully recovered. https://isabella.fika.bar/torn-pages-01KCHZ71KWG94PSF3GPYTF34AM Marianney24 shares a brief reflection on life, touching on its complexity, uncertainty, and quiet moments of meaning. https://marianney24.fika.bar/life-01KCKGDEA7QNH91MNX3Q10VQNA Marina uses a playful, personal anecdote to reflect on identity, aspiration, and the stories we tell about ourselves. https://marina.fika.bar/001-i-sleep-in-a-racing-car-01KCPKE6WGB0KCMC3YEG28CV8N Pedro explains how the real constraint has shifted to a new bottleneck, reflecting on where progress now slows and why it matters. https://pedro.fika.bar/the-new-bottleneck-01KCBMVAQ5RSQYKYNP6XNA5Q4B Spandana Gangay writes about starting over once more, reflecting on renewal, creativity, and the courage to begin on a blank canvas again. https://spandanagangay.fika.bar/creating-a-new-canvas-yet-again-01KCGZ3CFVSJA0DG8WYHF7YZ79 The Witch Coven revisits Katsuhiro Harada’s legacy, reflecting on his role as the creative force behind Tekken and the enduring impact of the King of Iron Fist tournament. https://thewitchcoven.fika.bar/katsuhiro-harada-king-of-iron-fists-01KCBY7QSQ0YHQYC388JYXQY5G Transparencia questions what it really means to be transparent, reflecting on honesty, limits, and the costs of showing everything. https://transparencia.fika.bar/ser-o-no-ser-transparent-01KCP8B3FZ5VP79N8YXE8YR06E Different voices, different rhythms, same commitment to publishing. Keep going If you are part of the challenge, this is your reminder to continue. You do not need perfect ideas. You do not need a finished opinion. You just need to keep publishing. And if you are reading this and have not joined yet, it is not too late. Start where you are, write what you have, and let your work slowly find its readers. Writing grows through repetition. Audience grows through sharing. We are here to support both. Join the challenge here today
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Why Writing by Hand Is Good for You: Key Brain Benefits Backed by Research
Dec 13 ⎯ Today we are going to dive into one of the most discussed topics when it comes to writing and the brain; the profound and almost invisible benefits of writing by hand. Although handwriting may sometimes seem like a habit of the past, the truth is that its neurological impact remains remarkable. Unlike typing, writing by hand activates processes that involve emotional, cognitive, and motor areas in an integrated way. This activation not only helps reduce stress or work through internal conflicts, but also improves how we learn and organize information. How Handwriting Shapes Memory and Learning One of the most important mechanisms is motor memory. We learn more when we do, and writing is doing; it is turning thought into movement. Each letter traces a gesture, and that gesture becomes an imprint on the brain. That is why we tend to remember better what we write by hand. Graphomotor activity consolidates memory and learning, forcing us to reformulate what we understand and transform it into a logical, successive, and chronological order. Writing is thinking step by step. In addition, handwriting activates complex neural circuits; areas related to spatial perception, movement planning, idea organization, and mental sequencing. This has concrete effects on our overall cognitive ability, the way we learn, and the speed with which we process information. There is also a fundamental motor component. The coordination between hand and brain refines fine motor skills, improves movement precision, and helps slow down the motor deterioration that often accompanies old age or neurodegenerative diseases. When we write, we exercise a system that ages more slowly the more we use it. But the benefits of writing by hand are not just cognitive or motor-related. There is an emotional aspect that often goes unnoticed, yet it is one of the most powerful. When we write by hand, part of the limbic system is activated, the region of the brain that processes emotions, affective memories, stress responses, and links to our internal experiences. This means that the simple act of putting words on paper triggers a measurable emotional reaction; it reduces physiological tension, lowers the body's reactivity to stressful situations, and allows us to understand what we are feeling more clearly. Writing acts as a safe space where we can unravel complex emotions without feeling observed or judged. When the brain sees our emotions converted into language, it stops treating them as vague threats and begins to interpret them as manageable information. This transition, from chaos to clarity, has profound therapeutic effects; it reduces anxiety, organizes internal experiences, and helps us take emotional distance to see problems from a more balanced angle. In addition, writing forces the brain to slow down. And that emotional slowdown is important; it takes us out of autopilot, inhibits impulsive responses, and opens space for more honest introspection. When emotion slows down, something essential to mental health appears, the possibility of understanding ourselves better. And this is where we get to the heart of the matter, the emotional and creative role of handwriting. Why Writing by Hand Strengthens Emotional and Creative Brain Circuits Writing by hand is not a mechanical gesture; it is a complete sensory experience that involves attention, memory, and emotion. Every time we trace a word, the limbic system is activated. This region, which manages how we feel, how we remember, and how we interpret what happens to us, responds because writing requires translating internal experiences into visible language. That translation reduces stress because it turns the intangible into something concrete. hand writing brainWhen we write, our brain engages in a form of “external emotional processing”; we move from feeling without understanding to understanding what we feel. This explains why so many therapeutic practices include writing: because it helps regulate intense emotions, reorganizes scattered thoughts, and provides a safer framework for difficult experiences. At the same time, writing activates the right hemisphere, which is responsible for creativity, imagination, and symbolic perception. When we write, we don't just pour out ideas; we build new connections, unexpected links between memories, sensations, and concepts. Creativity arises right there; in that combination of structure (the hand, the word, the sequence) and freedom (association, intuition, interpretation). Writing by hand, by demanding a slower pace, gives the brain time to find those links. That is why handwriting not only organizes thought, it expands it. It allows us to understand ourselves better and, at the same time, imagine more.
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The Audience Growth Challenge: Write, Share, Learn, Grow
Dec 10 ⎯ The previous Fika Challenge was about consistency. Write four blog posts in thirty days and rediscover the habit of publishing. This new challenge focuses on something different. It is about learning how to reach readers, how to make your work travel, and how to grow a real audience around what you write. Starting today and running for one month From December 10, 2025, to January 9, 2026, , we launch the Audience Growth Challenge. Join the challenge here What changes this time There is no minimum number of posts. You can publish one or publish ten. What matters is that your posts are created and published during the challenge window. The goal is to grow your audience. This time the metric is simple: the number of new subscribers you attract through your writing and sharing during the month. To qualify as a finisher, participants must generate at least 25 new subscribers. Everyone who reaches that milestone will win a full year of Fika Premium. The winner will be the participant who generates the highest number of new subscribers during the challenge. Their prize will be a curated pack of books that inspired the spirit of this challenge: Purple Cow, Made to Stick, Contagious, Everybody Writes, and Writing Down the Bones Most writers publish in silence. Posts go out, a few views appear, and then the piece disappears into the long archive of the internet. This challenge is designed to break that cycle. Writing is only the beginning, audience building is the next step. This does not mean selling, it means storytelling, it means learning how to place your ideas in front of people who might care, it means understanding what turns a casual reader into someone who wants to follow your work. Nothing in this challenge dictates where or how you must share. You choose your channels. You choose your voice. The purpose is to experiment, learn and discover what works for you. What you will practice Throughout the month you will learn how to: Write with intention and a clear reader in mind. Shape posts that are memorable, surprising or useful. Use stories to create connection and trust. Make your work discoverable without feeling forced. Invite people to follow your journey. Observe how readers behave and adjust based on what you learn. The goal is not volume or perfection. It is understanding. To participate, create a free account here Rewards For everyone who reaches 25 new subscribers A full year of Fika Premium. For the winner A curated selection of books to help any writer think differently, write better and reach more readers: Everybody Writes by Ann Handley A practical manual for writing online with clarity and personality. Purple Cow by Seth Godin A call to create work that stands out in a crowded world. Made to Stick by Chip Heath and Dan Heath A guide to making ideas clear, memorable and easy to share. Contagious by Jonah Berger An explanation of why certain content spreads and how to increase your chances. Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg Short, powerful lessons that help writers free their voice, build confidence and write with clarity and presence. How to participate Create an account on Fika, it’s free. Publish your posts during the challenge window. Share them however you want. Engage with readers when they respond. Track your subscriber growth. At the end of the month, we will share the participants results: how many subscribers they gained, what they tried, what worked, and what they learned.
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And the Winner of the Fika Writing Challenge Is…
Dec 09 ⎯ After 30 days of writing, sharing and showing up, the first Fika Writing Challenge has officially come to an end. We had 90 writers participate and together they created 126 new publications. The energy throughout the month was incredible. Today we are excited to announce the winner of the 6 book pack. 🏆 Winner: Diary of a silli-mazing human by aybee The winner is the participant who generated the most new followers during the challenge and who also published at least 4 blog posts. Aybee’s posts consistently reached new readers and built momentum week after week. Congratulations. Enjoy the books and keep going. Your audience is growing for a reason. Writers who earned one full year of Fika Premium Everyone who published 4 blog posts during the challenge has won a full year of Fika Premium. Here are the writers who completed it. aybee threes dailyfieldnotes daviz crtd gonzalo pedro We will contact each of you with your activation details. Thank you for showing up every week and sharing your work. And to everyone who joined the challenge Thank you for participating. Even if you published 1, 2 or 3 posts, you were very close. Your effort, your drafts and your ideas made this challenge feel alive from day one. We hope you keep writing. Fika is here whenever the idea hits. What’s next A new Fika Challenge will be announced this Wednesday. New theme, new rules and a new reason to write. Stay tuned. 💚
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An advent of updates
Dec 05 ⎯ We know, we know. We just sent an update a couple weeks ago, but we're a bunch of passionate individuals on a mission: to help you write more! Here's what we've been cooking: The Proofreaders Writing is hard, but it’s like going to the gym: it gets easier every day. You know what else a gym has? A coach! So we built not one, not two, but three super-cute coaches that will help you become a better writer. The image shows three hand-drawn cute animalsEach of these absolutely adorable mascots has one specific job: The frog helps you with grammar, the rabbit with conciseness, and the wolf with clarity, flow, and impact. You can find the proofreader as a tool in your article editor, in addition to the rest of the utilities. Curious how it works? Here's a video of Pau, our CEO, explaining it! Content Translation 🌐 The world is a wonderfully complex place, and we humans have found vastly different ways of expressing our experience: we call them “languages”. It only makes sense that a platform meant for humans to connect embraces that complexity. Some writers, like ourselves, are polyglots, which means that we not only understand and write in different languages, but also have an opinion on what works best in each. A screenshot that showcases the translation settings interfaceYou can now not only choose a language for your blog, but also a set of language translations you want to provide. This enables a new utility in your post toolbar called “translations”, which allows you to auto-translate articles and, most importantly, curate them to your liking. The readers’ experience will also be tailored to their liking: they will receive your posts in their desired language if available, helping you make deeper connections with your audience. Wait! There’s more ✨ Building a nice product is not only about adding new features, but also polish, polish, polish. Here are some other not-so-flashy updates that we are also proud of. Notes now allow tags for easier access and management. You will now occasionally receive emails with article topic suggestions based on your notes. Lots of tiny improvements for search engine discoverability, making you easier for robots (not only humans) to find! Of course, several bug fixes, interface refinements, and other quality-of-life improvements for you to enjoy! Thanks for reading! We hope these updates make it an even better time for you to start writing.
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Fika Challenge: Highlights from Weeks 2 and 3
Nov 29 ⎯ If you still don’t know what the Fika Challenge is, you can check it out here. You still have time, hurry up. It’s been two weeks filled with really interesting articles created in Fika, shared with others, and generating plenty of noise and genuinely satisfying reading moments. Here you’ll find the most original and interesting blog posts published over the last two weeks: (published between 15–28 of November) Azhù opens the week with a sharp collection of thoughts, observations, and tiny moments that hit surprisingly deep. A light read that leaves you thinking. https://azhu.fika.bar/weekly-snippets-1-01KA23C3JFV966DNBM5FG8YVSS Jacob looks back at the moment he chose to completely rewrite his future, sharing an honest, intimate snapshot of change, fear and clarity. A powerful, personal read. https://jacobbamio.fika.bar/the-year-i-decided-to-rewrite-my-future-01K9SYFER0STQ8SGNC2ZW5WEJQ Abba shares a grounded reflection on what it really means to “stay human” in a chaotic world, mixing warmth, honesty and a quiet push to slow down. A gentle, resonant read. https://abbaing.fika.bar/stay-human-01KA6HRSAMPTHERMB79C1Q9NKK Ray dives into the bittersweet tension between who we are and who we try to be, blending sharp insight with a vulnerable, almost nostalgic tone. A beautifully reflective piece. https://ray-garcia.fika.bar/the-pains-of-being-pure-at-heart-01KA435VVCJZ864GENFJ1219SK Genís embraces the chaos of creative flow, turning a messy writing session into a fun, self-aware exploration of how ideas actually take shape. Light, honest and relatable. https://genis.fika.bar/the-vibe-writing-mess-01KA8CTNA4AWCWYA3A27BWHSHP Willow shares a thoughtful look at what it means to raise kids when AI is part of everyday life, blending curiosity, humour and a grounded sense of responsibility. A smart, reflective read. https://dailyfieldnotes.fika.bar/raising-humans-in-the-age-of-chatgpt-01KAJRCHVH813Y10PN31P62K07 Aybée digs into why we’re strangely drawn to discomfort, mixing personal insight with a sharp, almost playful exploration of human behaviour. Bold, curious, and surprisingly uplifting. https://aybee.fika.bar/we-love-pain-seriously-01KAJFDYS7DCKWRX4S4RTXZ0YP Pedro breaks down a practical, developer-friendly way to review your AI agent’s work locally, offering a clear snapshot of how to debug, test and iterate faster. Concise, technical and genuinely useful. https://pedro.fika.bar/reviewing-your-agents-work-locally-with-g-01KANA06D42DGKJ1M6W97QYAER CRTD delivers a moody, intimate snapshot built around three “ghosts” that linger in memory, blending atmosphere, vulnerability and sharp visual storytelling. Haunting in the best way. https://crtd.fika.bar/crtd-3-ghosts-01KAPBZFBN08SZWAB90A1Z9DSY Daviz questions whether product design as we know it is reaching an end, blending sharp industry insight with a bold, provocative take on where the craft is headed. A punchy, thought-starter. https://daviz.fika.bar/esta-acabado-el-product-design-01K9STQ1990268GZ0K0NX1XWMW Álvaro offers a clear, accessible introduction to voice agents, breaking down how they work, why they matter, and where they're headed. A crisp, beginner-friendly tech explainer. https://atrancon.fika.bar/introduction-to-voice-agents-01KAXEMYF9EZF0VARNK6DQGVF3 Rene captures the universal struggle of simply sitting down to write, turning a familiar battle with resistance into a warm, honest reminder that starting is always the hardest part. A relatable nudge forward. https://renegalindo.fika.bar/sitting-down-is-the-hardest-part-of-writing-01KB27G429AB4RSD78MRYZQC8M Threes explores what strategy even means when the world feels “headless,” blending sharp analysis with a calm, thoughtful take on how to navigate uncertainty. A smart, grounded read. https://threes.fika.bar/strategy-in-a-headless-world-01KA3MDJ4HE41DTEXVDNJQETPX Genar reflects on the art of shifting perspective, moving between the big picture and the tiny details that shape it. A calm, insightful piece about seeing more by looking twice. https://genar.fika.bar/zoom-out-zoom-in-01KAQXGKBXJAZZ00DFJYEKWMVZ Gonzalo unpacks the messy reality of time-tracking at work and explains why it pushed him to build Susana, blending personal frustration with a sharp look at workplace culture. Practical, honest and eye-opening. https://gonzalo.fika.bar/el-dilema-del-control-horario-y-por-que-construi-susana-01KB31AJJ3WF60Y0TZQEDBRM4S Two weeks in, it is clear that writing becomes easier when we show up even on the days when inspiration feels far away. Keep sharing your thoughts, your drafts, your experiments and your strange ideas. Every post encourages someone else to start. Let’s fill the next week with even more voices and even more stories.
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Fika November Update
Nov 25 ⎯ In Fika, we’re determined in our mission to help you write more and connect with other humans. Here’s what we’ve been carefully packing for you these last few weeks! Fika went multilingual! An image showcasing the different language choices in Fika's interfaceYou can now customize the language of Fika’s interface to your liking. We’ve started with just a few (we’re a small team!) but please let us know if you miss yours 💚. We also got localized versions of our public pages, like https://fika.bar/ca or https://fika.bar/pt. New “subscribe” block You can now place a block anywhere in the page to ask your readers to become subscribers when it best suits you. Exactly… Like this! ⬇︎ Note: You might not see the feature if reading from your e-mail. Of course, the subscribe experience will be tailored to your blog’s language, which, by the way, you can also set separately from the interface language in your blog’s settings. Voice notes & bookmarks Writing is a non-linear experience. Ideas might pop up into your mind while walking, doing the laudry, or while reading an article. Well, now you can capture them on the go via our new “Notes” feature. An image showcasing our "notes" feature, showing a few notes and bookmarks, as well as a voice recording functionality.Voice notes will get digested by Fika, and it’ll automatically extract insights and generate post ideas to nudge you into writing. Please try it out, it’s fun! Visual improvements on the editor The editor is where you’ll hopefully spend more time in Fika. We noticed it wasn’t cool enough, so we’ve reworked most of its interface to declutter it and make it easier for you to concentrate. We’ve also added a sidebar where you’ll be able to search your notes, and where you’ll see neat new features coming up Soon Enough ™. An image showing the new text editor in Fika, which has less visual noise.Other improvements We noticed some stability issues, and that’s not cool. So we’re also working hard on completely revamping Fika’s internals for you to have a best-in-class writing experience. If you experienced some issues, we hear you. Please bear with us while we fix them! What’s next? Choices, choices. We have so many ideas we can’t wait to deliver, including: Grammar correction and writing advice: Human content means human mistakes. We want to help you become better at writing by providing writing advice and grammar correction — without taking the pen from your hands. Social publishing: A way to streamline social publishing so you spend less time thinking about distribution channels and more time writing. Voice dictation: For those who are able to write articles in real time in their minds. Multi-language content: Why limiting your audience to a single language? We’re looking into ways to make your content more universally accessible to readers anywhere and everywhere. Custom domains and whitelabeling: For those who want the fika experience in their own awesome domain name. Phew, that was a lot, wasn’t it? Thanks for reading, and if you’re looking for your opportunity to start writing, remember we have a Writing Challenge going on!
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The Fika Writing Challenge: “A Publication a Week”
Nov 17 ⎯ The Challenge: 4 posts in 30 days Just like exercising strengthens your body, writing strengthens your mind. Let’s build a habit that stays! We challenge you to publish 4 blog posts in 30, from Friday, November 7th, 2025 to Sunday, December 7th, 2025, with at least 300 words. You can write about anything: your week, something interesting that happened, a tutorial on how to use a tool, or even a poem, as far as is helps you build a habit. Please refrain from using AI for text generation. This activity is about practicing and being mindful! The Rewards Everyone who completes the challenge (4 posts in 30 days ) receives 1 year of Fika Premium free (launching soon). The writer who attracts the most new subscribers during the month will win 6 hand-picked books by Ramensoft’s team. The Books: We manually selected these books to help you exercise your brain, improve your writing skills and grow your audience. Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life On Writing Well: The Essential Guide to Mastering Nonfiction Writing and Effective Communication The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing: Violate Them at Your Own Risk! Storyworthy: Engage, Teach, Persuade, and Change Your Life through the Power of Storytelling Steering the Craft: A Twenty-First-Century Guide to Sailing the Sea of Story The Elements of Eloquence: An amusing and wonderfully erudite guide to the ‘formulas, flowers and figures’ of rhetoric. Fika ChallengeHow it works Start writing this week, if you don’t have an account yet, signup here, it’s free :). Publish 4 blog posts in 30 days (any topic, any length but at least 300 words). Finish the four weeks, earn your Premium year and maybe the books too. Check your position on the leaderboard (soon!) We’ll announce the winners on December 8th Join the challenge now!
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Writing challenge Week 2 - Best blog posts included
Nov 14 ⎯ Hi there, It’s been a week since we started the challenge, and we’ve already seen so many great posts appear on Fika. Some funny, some deep, some just honest. That’s what writing is about, showing up, one thought at a time. If you wrote last week, take a moment to feel proud. You’ve already done what most people never start. And if you haven’t published yet, this is your gentle reminder: open your notebook, pick a thought, and write. It doesn’t have to be perfect. It just has to be yours. To keep you inspired, here are some of the best posts from last week: (published between 7–14 of November) Who puts rice in a pineapple Aybee: after launching Metrifox and vowing to record weekly YouTube videos, the writer realises writing is far easier than filming. El safari emocional de las startups Eliseo: a reflection on the startup journey as an emotional safari, full of highs, lows, and unexpected challenges. El propósito de las cortinillas Miriam: questions the purpose of the aisle divider (curtain) between economy and business class in airplanes. CRTD #1: Finding heaven and hell on earth CRTD: highlights ROSALÍA’s album LUX as a grand and emotionally transcendent work that feels like being in heaven. What to eat after crying on the subway Hannah: explores what kind of food or gesture helps soothe you after a public emotional breakdown (for example crying on the subway) and why comfort matters. Staying Human with AI Pedro: explains how they use AI in roles like coding, sales, content and research, choosing to keep their own voice rather than let tools do everything. Maybe you're just a necessary evil Aybee: explores the idea of being seen as a “necessary evil” in relationships or roles, where you’re required but not truly valued. What AI Can't Know Dailyfieldnotes: argues that while AI models can ingest huge amounts of data, they can never fully know humans’ lived experience, tacit knowledge or emotional context. Why's everybody talking about vibe coding? Genar: explains “vibe-coding” as building software by prompting AI instead of hand-writing code. El buffet asesino Hflap: humorously describes how hotel buffets become a stealthy workout deterrent, tempting us into a cycle of food-organizing, plate-stacking and overindulgence. Join the challenge here, earn a free year of Fika Premium, and if you end up bringing in the most subscribers, you might also walk away with six amazing books
