Today is all about you! A lot of people receive this newsletter each week and I really would like to know more about you. Dive into the discussion and let me know!
Are you a writer? (it’s fine if you’re not - let me know what you like to read instead)
If you are, what are you working on at the moment?
See you down in the comments. Please do share links if you’d like me to read your stuff. :)
Feb 23, 2022·edited Feb 23, 2022Liked by Simon K Jones
Writer? Not really. I've had a few short stories published in some now-defunct small magazines, was a theater reviewer for a now-defunct newspaper, a featured columnist for a now-defunct gaming magazine, and... Um... I guess publishing me is bad luck!
I enjoy world building, I enjoy plotting and creating situations within those worlds, but don't actually enjoy the physical act of putting words down. My hand eye coordination isn't the best, and I'm a bit dyslexic, so lots of typos, and it's a chore. I'm actually more likely to type on a phone/tablet as predictive text saves a ridiculous amount of error.
Of course, I'm in the middle of a move, and, if I wasn't waiting for AAA to come jump the camper van would be leaving California today, a mere three days later than intended. My most recent writing was a deserved screed of abuse directed at the execrable Spectrum Internet, and a collection of data delivered to the three US credit reporting agencies and the Better Business Bureau regarding how I am not a Spectrum customer any more, and how it's not my fault they refuse to terminate my account, as well as a letter to my lawyer with the same data and an expression of intent to sue should Spectrum attempt to retrieve monies I don't and won't owe them via a collection agency.
Ah, but we're talking fiction!
Yeah, not in over a year. I do have my fantasy world, but, at the moment the entire setting is getting a major overhaul. Each culture needs a "baseline" historic culture, then the post-cataclysm culture after the entire world spun and, what was Atlantis near the equator became the new North Pole. What happens to, say, a desert culture which becomes arctic almost overnight?
I often write narratives based off our Wednesday TTRPG Campaign. This one is a favorite. The PC narrator always tells his stories in a pub, drinking heavily, gambling and flirting with his love. Here we learn the truth behind his situation. I like the ending. Think it's got a real punch to it.
Seems to me that TTRPG is the modern equivalent of oral storytelling round the fire. Storytelling = storytelling, even if it doesn't end up as words on a page, right?
To "game snob" for a moment, there are certainly many TTRPG players who focus more on a narrative experience, while there are as many who seem to focus more on the "tactical/competitive" experience. You can tell the two apart by how they describe their own characters. The more stats and "+1s" they use, the less interested they are in the narrative, and the more interest in the war gaming aspects.
Which is fine. Play how you wanna play.
My own bias is more towards expanding the narrative of the players and campaign world in depth. The current Weds night sessions have tended more towards episodic, disconnected stories and I'm not enjoying them as much. I actually have a note from last night on my character sheet saying, "I wasn't paying attention, don't feel like asking for clarification, but will take the" Cheapness of Life" Ignoble because it levels me up.
And if you've ever read any of the Cutlass narratives I've done which practicality have every single card flip and die roll fleshed out, that's a high level of disinterest. Then again, I'm also not that big a fan of the Tekumel setting. It's a very unpleasant world with few redeeming values.
Writer here! I’m working on the last 3 chapters of my fantasy horror comedy novella called Crocodilian which I’ve been releasing serially on my Substack! Also a bunch of poetry and short fiction. Thanks for asking!! Love what you’re doing!
It’s changed a lot actually. It was supposed to be 10k words but now closing in on 40k lol. I’ll need to complete a solid revision and add a few things before I publish it physically. I’ve had a lot of fun writing it though. Appreciate the questions!
Writer here. I post micro and flash fiction every week on my substack, usually under some sort of theme. I focus on short things since I figure a lot of us are so busy, it's sometimes hard to find time to read long form. Plus, I like the challenge that comes with writing with restrictions. I also like prompts, so I've been randomly generating some and letting my readers vote on which I use in a future issue. It's fun to see what sort of thing interests them out of a list, especially when it's not what I'd expect.
Outside of that, I'm in the early planning phase of writing a serial. It'll be a multiverse fantasy adventure that I'll probably bring to Substack, unless another platform I haven't tried jumps out at me.
I'm increasingly thinking that I should try some shorter fiction. At the moment I'm publishing a long-form novel in serialised chapters, each of which is about 1500 words. Fine for some readers, but as you say there is definitely an audience for shorter fiction that can be easily done in a single sitting.
The challenge with the longer books is that the longer they get, the more of a task it seems for new readers to 'catch up'. It's hard for new arrivals to even get a sense of the writing - which is where some smaller stories would be extremely useful.
Yeah, at first I didn't understand why anyone would find it a hassle to catch up on those sort of projects, but then I realized I do that all the time with TV. A show with 25 minute episodes and only five or so seasons sounds perfect, assuming I like the first few eps. Something that's 45 minutes and has 10 seasons and counting though is suddenly going to take too much of my time, even though I'm the one dictating the pace.
Also, a monthly flash blog, “This Demented Life.” This month is about humble writing and promoting it seems a bit paradoxical but here goes: https://dementedlife.com/humble-truth/
Writerrr! I like short fiction and have one running right now called Of Dust and Dreams. In between a few cross promotion pieces I’m writing, I’ll get to my longer form fiction.
Oh yes, I am a writer. Books are self-published; most of my short stories are in anthologies or online magazines. I'm wrapping up book 7 of my Martiniere Legacy main line series (available on my Martiniere Stories Substack), finishing a Kindle Vella novella, getting ready to release another novella in a new Weird West multiverse series, Vortex Worlds, editing an alternative Martiniere Legacy near-future science fiction romance for April release, working on another story in that world, and other projects.
Not all at once, obviously! This is the year of getting a bunch of half-finished projects cleared off of my hard drive, as well as rerelease and rebranding of my first series, the Netwalk Sequence. All of this is in preparation for time to work on a new fantasy series, Goddess's Vision, in 2023....
Wow! That's a lot of stuff. :) How do you prioritise and keep it all in balance? I've found over the years I've had to whittle down to one project at a time (mostly), otherwise I get too distracted. I'm in awe of your productivity. :)
Scheduling. I'm coming off of two years of intense focus on one series and there's still a lot of energy. But also--note that a lot of this stuff is tied into half-finished projects that I'm dealing with. So a lot of the pre-drafting work has been done.
I'm also retired, and have about ten years into the writing gig.
I will be starting book 3 shortly (on my Substack.) I am also always working on short humor and fiction. And sometimes longer fiction and humor. Or whatever else interests me at the moment.
You are busy! Have you been on Substack the entire time publishing these, or did you start publishing Baron Britpopo Blastfurnace elsewhere originally? That's a LOT of work to already have up and running.
Feb 23, 2022·edited Feb 24, 2022Liked by Simon K Jones
I completed the first novel in June 2020, before I started my Substack in August 2020. I put the first novel on my Substack (all at once in June 2021) for free so readers could read it and then join me for the writing of book 2. I posted chapters of Book 2 as I wrote them. I will do the same for Book 3.
But yes, I was far too busy. I was also trying to write a weekly serial space sitcom and my regular weekly shorts newsletter. I way over committed and was burning out. So I did away with deadlines and paid content. And put my serial on hold to get my creativity and sanity back. 🤣 It worked. I enjoy writing again.
It's a real challenge, isn't it? I find especially when discovering an exciting new platform or way of reaching readers, it's all too easy to over-commit at the start while that buzz of excitement and discovery is still there. I had grand visions of hand-illustrating every chapter of Triverse and doing weekly 'bonuses', but neither of those have quite worked out as I'd intended.
So true. I definitely got swept up in serial fiction fever and wasn’t being realistic about my ability to write under a deadline without a buffer. Plus, I have an acoustic trio starting back up after Covid that requires creative time and attention. But I think I have a handle on things now.
Yep, I am a writer! Currently working on book 2 of my epic urban fantasy series, which I'm serializing on my Substack newsletter. I'm nearing the halfway point and plan to launch a Kickstarter for the print edition in the spring.
I need to make some time to check out your fiction. Will try to do that this weekend! How are you balancing free vs paid content?
I noticed that you've pinned a 'welcome' post to the top/front of your Substack. That's something I should probably do, to make it easier for new arrivals. On-going fiction can be a bit awkward for anyone who isn't in from the start.
Thanks! I need to catch up on yours too. Love the concept and story, also the extras like the letter with handwritten notes and coroner's report.
Re: paid vs. free, book 1 in the series is completely free, released twice a week. Book 2 in the series is released weekly and paid subscribers are 7 chapters ahead of free subscribers. I unlock one free chapter a month, but once book 1 has been completely serialized, I will start unlocking book 2 chapters weekly.
Agreed re trying to onboard new readers. If you're serializing an entire book, it's not like you can create a new jumping in point like in comics. You almost have to create a separate on-boarding sequence with the same material via a traditional mailing list provider.
It's much more complicated than I'd anticipated! I feel like we're all gradually poking at the problem and solving little pieces of it, though, so we're getting there.
I'm intrigued that you're releasing two books simultaneously. Do you have any readers that you know of who are reading both at the same time?? Was book 1 available in another form prior to it being serialised?
Tales from the Triverse I'd half conceived of as being more of an episodic serial, a bit more anthology-like, and it has elements of that, but I'm finding it still has enough on-going story to make it a challenge for new readers to just 'jump in'. Ultimately I'm writing a novel, rather than a soap, or a truly episodic TV show.
(glad you liked the handwritten and report bonuses! I wish I had time to do more of that sort of thing...)
I'm not sure if anyone is reading both at the same time, but if I had to guess, probably not. Book 1 has been available for awhile on Amazon and through my Kickstarter, but I didn't want to start the Substack newsletter on book 2, so I figured I could serialize book 1 for free to give readers a long on-ramp.
I write for my day job, so I have a lot on the go: today is web content, a news post, a blog post, and some other things on my (rather long) list.
As for personal writing -- I'm keeping up with my own Substack (new post out yesterday that's getting some great reaction so far) and working on my next novel. That's slow going for a variety of reasons (including day job and Substack... lol - not to mention a lot of snowblowing lately) but I managed to get two solid hours of research in last night, which inspired a few paragraphs this morning before I got to work on client stuff.
All in all, very happy with my progress. Just could use a few more hours in my day (couldn't we all).
Yes - always busy... lol I don't even have a minute to research that all-important time manipulation algorithm...
And yes, I often find it difficult to drag myself down to the office again at night to work on personal projects when I've been working all day. It's not so much an interest thing but a "the creative well is dry" kind of thing. Mental and creative exhaustion doesn't lend to great novel writing.
I've come to terms with this though and I just do what I can do. Still disappointing, but I feel less guilt about it. Work has to come first!
Do you work from home? I think that probably makes it harder, as well. Pre-Covid I at least had a change of physical location. I'm fortunate to have a desktop and laptop computer, so sometimes I'll write in a different room just to refresh my brain slightly and not be in the same 4 walls for the entire day.
If I don't feel able to write decent words I'll often switch to development mode and tinker with plot, or characters, or world building instead. Still useful, still progress, even if it isn't in direct word count.
Yes, I've worked from home since the beginning. Though I recognize it's not for everyone, I love it. Can't beat the commutes! And when the kids were little, it was helpful to be around if they needed something at school or when they came home, etc.
One huge advantage is that I can come and go from the office as I please. The freelance joke I use is, "As long as you get your 16 hours in a day, it doesn't matter when you do it..."
I think I would have liked to have worked in an agency for a time. But other than that, I love my office, love that I can come down anytime -- and most of all love that I can leave anytime. It also made it easier adjusting to COVID since it didn't really disrupt my work life.
In terms of writing, it's the perfect creative space simply because it's closed off and relatively quiet.
I'm working on some historical film essays, and I'm taking a class with my college right now in which we write about our inner feelings/identity. It's been really freeing to have an outlet for thinking about that stuff.
Sounds to me like you're a writer. As Eimear McBride said in a video I produced a while back, "if you're a writer, you'll write. If you're not, you won't."
Hello! You've had a busy month of writing. Really like the idea of focusing on something specific, as you've done. Writing about tiny 1-person businesses is a fascinating topic as it immediately creates a sense of "oh, I could do this!" in any reader. It doesn't seem like an impossible goal.
Thanks! Also, I really like the way you framed it. Most businesses are indeed tiny, and that might ressonate even better with the audience I'm trying to get to. I'll have to think about that.
It's definitely good to have a clear focus with a newsletter. That's something I'm still wrestling with here - it's harder to have a clear USP with fiction (especially when I shuffle in some non-fiction how-to- stuff as well!).
Writer? Not really. I've had a few short stories published in some now-defunct small magazines, was a theater reviewer for a now-defunct newspaper, a featured columnist for a now-defunct gaming magazine, and... Um... I guess publishing me is bad luck!
I enjoy world building, I enjoy plotting and creating situations within those worlds, but don't actually enjoy the physical act of putting words down. My hand eye coordination isn't the best, and I'm a bit dyslexic, so lots of typos, and it's a chore. I'm actually more likely to type on a phone/tablet as predictive text saves a ridiculous amount of error.
Of course, I'm in the middle of a move, and, if I wasn't waiting for AAA to come jump the camper van would be leaving California today, a mere three days later than intended. My most recent writing was a deserved screed of abuse directed at the execrable Spectrum Internet, and a collection of data delivered to the three US credit reporting agencies and the Better Business Bureau regarding how I am not a Spectrum customer any more, and how it's not my fault they refuse to terminate my account, as well as a letter to my lawyer with the same data and an expression of intent to sue should Spectrum attempt to retrieve monies I don't and won't owe them via a collection agency.
Ah, but we're talking fiction!
Yeah, not in over a year. I do have my fantasy world, but, at the moment the entire setting is getting a major overhaul. Each culture needs a "baseline" historic culture, then the post-cataclysm culture after the entire world spun and, what was Atlantis near the equator became the new North Pole. What happens to, say, a desert culture which becomes arctic almost overnight?
I often write narratives based off our Wednesday TTRPG Campaign. This one is a favorite. The PC narrator always tells his stories in a pub, drinking heavily, gambling and flirting with his love. Here we learn the truth behind his situation. I like the ending. Think it's got a real punch to it.
https://spacegamer.com/OldVox.aspx?pid=18983&rid=18983&page=0
The comments below are worth a read as well. Especially another player's counter narrative...
Seems to me that TTRPG is the modern equivalent of oral storytelling round the fire. Storytelling = storytelling, even if it doesn't end up as words on a page, right?
Agreed. Mostly.
To "game snob" for a moment, there are certainly many TTRPG players who focus more on a narrative experience, while there are as many who seem to focus more on the "tactical/competitive" experience. You can tell the two apart by how they describe their own characters. The more stats and "+1s" they use, the less interested they are in the narrative, and the more interest in the war gaming aspects.
Which is fine. Play how you wanna play.
My own bias is more towards expanding the narrative of the players and campaign world in depth. The current Weds night sessions have tended more towards episodic, disconnected stories and I'm not enjoying them as much. I actually have a note from last night on my character sheet saying, "I wasn't paying attention, don't feel like asking for clarification, but will take the" Cheapness of Life" Ignoble because it levels me up.
And if you've ever read any of the Cutlass narratives I've done which practicality have every single card flip and die roll fleshed out, that's a high level of disinterest. Then again, I'm also not that big a fan of the Tekumel setting. It's a very unpleasant world with few redeeming values.
Writer here! I’m working on the last 3 chapters of my fantasy horror comedy novella called Crocodilian which I’ve been releasing serially on my Substack! Also a bunch of poetry and short fiction. Thanks for asking!! Love what you’re doing!
Thanks, Winston! Congrats on nearly getting to the end of Crocodilian. How do you feel about the project now you're in the closing stages?
It’s changed a lot actually. It was supposed to be 10k words but now closing in on 40k lol. I’ll need to complete a solid revision and add a few things before I publish it physically. I’ve had a lot of fun writing it though. Appreciate the questions!
That's tipped from a short story into novella territory, which will likely give you more options for physical publishing and marketing!
Writer here. I post micro and flash fiction every week on my substack, usually under some sort of theme. I focus on short things since I figure a lot of us are so busy, it's sometimes hard to find time to read long form. Plus, I like the challenge that comes with writing with restrictions. I also like prompts, so I've been randomly generating some and letting my readers vote on which I use in a future issue. It's fun to see what sort of thing interests them out of a list, especially when it's not what I'd expect.
Outside of that, I'm in the early planning phase of writing a serial. It'll be a multiverse fantasy adventure that I'll probably bring to Substack, unless another platform I haven't tried jumps out at me.
I'm increasingly thinking that I should try some shorter fiction. At the moment I'm publishing a long-form novel in serialised chapters, each of which is about 1500 words. Fine for some readers, but as you say there is definitely an audience for shorter fiction that can be easily done in a single sitting.
The challenge with the longer books is that the longer they get, the more of a task it seems for new readers to 'catch up'. It's hard for new arrivals to even get a sense of the writing - which is where some smaller stories would be extremely useful.
Will give yours a read soon, thanks!
Yeah, at first I didn't understand why anyone would find it a hassle to catch up on those sort of projects, but then I realized I do that all the time with TV. A show with 25 minute episodes and only five or so seasons sounds perfect, assuming I like the first few eps. Something that's 45 minutes and has 10 seasons and counting though is suddenly going to take too much of my time, even though I'm the one dictating the pace.
Reading's no different, I guess.
Subscribed! I’m also a lover of flash/micro writing and publish 100 word LitArt weekly in the micro mashup.
https://morningpagemashup.substack.com/
Sounds interesting! Subscribed and looking forward to reading.
Right on! Always happy to meet another microfiction writer on here! :) I've subbed back.
Flash & micro-loving writer here, checking in. Thanks for the opp to share.
I launched “the micro mashup,” a weekly microburst of literary art in January. Here’s the latest episode: https://morningpagemashup.substack.com/p/flight-1-eastbound-again
Also, a monthly flash blog, “This Demented Life.” This month is about humble writing and promoting it seems a bit paradoxical but here goes: https://dementedlife.com/humble-truth/
Writerrr! I like short fiction and have one running right now called Of Dust and Dreams. In between a few cross promotion pieces I’m writing, I’ll get to my longer form fiction.
Oh yes, I am a writer. Books are self-published; most of my short stories are in anthologies or online magazines. I'm wrapping up book 7 of my Martiniere Legacy main line series (available on my Martiniere Stories Substack), finishing a Kindle Vella novella, getting ready to release another novella in a new Weird West multiverse series, Vortex Worlds, editing an alternative Martiniere Legacy near-future science fiction romance for April release, working on another story in that world, and other projects.
Not all at once, obviously! This is the year of getting a bunch of half-finished projects cleared off of my hard drive, as well as rerelease and rebranding of my first series, the Netwalk Sequence. All of this is in preparation for time to work on a new fantasy series, Goddess's Vision, in 2023....
Wow! That's a lot of stuff. :) How do you prioritise and keep it all in balance? I've found over the years I've had to whittle down to one project at a time (mostly), otherwise I get too distracted. I'm in awe of your productivity. :)
Scheduling. I'm coming off of two years of intense focus on one series and there's still a lot of energy. But also--note that a lot of this stuff is tied into half-finished projects that I'm dealing with. So a lot of the pre-drafting work has been done.
I'm also retired, and have about ten years into the writing gig.
Am I a writer? Yes. Since 1st grade! I just completed the second book in the Baron Britpop Blastfurnace series (on my Substack.)
https://markstarlinwrites.substack.com/p/surprised-by-life-again
I will be starting book 3 shortly (on my Substack.) I am also always working on short humor and fiction. And sometimes longer fiction and humor. Or whatever else interests me at the moment.
https://markstarlinwrites.substack.com
You are busy! Have you been on Substack the entire time publishing these, or did you start publishing Baron Britpopo Blastfurnace elsewhere originally? That's a LOT of work to already have up and running.
I completed the first novel in June 2020, before I started my Substack in August 2020. I put the first novel on my Substack (all at once in June 2021) for free so readers could read it and then join me for the writing of book 2. I posted chapters of Book 2 as I wrote them. I will do the same for Book 3.
But yes, I was far too busy. I was also trying to write a weekly serial space sitcom and my regular weekly shorts newsletter. I way over committed and was burning out. So I did away with deadlines and paid content. And put my serial on hold to get my creativity and sanity back. 🤣 It worked. I enjoy writing again.
It's a real challenge, isn't it? I find especially when discovering an exciting new platform or way of reaching readers, it's all too easy to over-commit at the start while that buzz of excitement and discovery is still there. I had grand visions of hand-illustrating every chapter of Triverse and doing weekly 'bonuses', but neither of those have quite worked out as I'd intended.
So true. I definitely got swept up in serial fiction fever and wasn’t being realistic about my ability to write under a deadline without a buffer. Plus, I have an acoustic trio starting back up after Covid that requires creative time and attention. But I think I have a handle on things now.
Yep, I am a writer! Currently working on book 2 of my epic urban fantasy series, which I'm serializing on my Substack newsletter. I'm nearing the halfway point and plan to launch a Kickstarter for the print edition in the spring.
I need to make some time to check out your fiction. Will try to do that this weekend! How are you balancing free vs paid content?
I noticed that you've pinned a 'welcome' post to the top/front of your Substack. That's something I should probably do, to make it easier for new arrivals. On-going fiction can be a bit awkward for anyone who isn't in from the start.
Thanks! I need to catch up on yours too. Love the concept and story, also the extras like the letter with handwritten notes and coroner's report.
Re: paid vs. free, book 1 in the series is completely free, released twice a week. Book 2 in the series is released weekly and paid subscribers are 7 chapters ahead of free subscribers. I unlock one free chapter a month, but once book 1 has been completely serialized, I will start unlocking book 2 chapters weekly.
Agreed re trying to onboard new readers. If you're serializing an entire book, it's not like you can create a new jumping in point like in comics. You almost have to create a separate on-boarding sequence with the same material via a traditional mailing list provider.
It's much more complicated than I'd anticipated! I feel like we're all gradually poking at the problem and solving little pieces of it, though, so we're getting there.
I'm intrigued that you're releasing two books simultaneously. Do you have any readers that you know of who are reading both at the same time?? Was book 1 available in another form prior to it being serialised?
Tales from the Triverse I'd half conceived of as being more of an episodic serial, a bit more anthology-like, and it has elements of that, but I'm finding it still has enough on-going story to make it a challenge for new readers to just 'jump in'. Ultimately I'm writing a novel, rather than a soap, or a truly episodic TV show.
(glad you liked the handwritten and report bonuses! I wish I had time to do more of that sort of thing...)
I'm not sure if anyone is reading both at the same time, but if I had to guess, probably not. Book 1 has been available for awhile on Amazon and through my Kickstarter, but I didn't want to start the Substack newsletter on book 2, so I figured I could serialize book 1 for free to give readers a long on-ramp.
Hey Simon,
I write for my day job, so I have a lot on the go: today is web content, a news post, a blog post, and some other things on my (rather long) list.
As for personal writing -- I'm keeping up with my own Substack (new post out yesterday that's getting some great reaction so far) and working on my next novel. That's slow going for a variety of reasons (including day job and Substack... lol - not to mention a lot of snowblowing lately) but I managed to get two solid hours of research in last night, which inspired a few paragraphs this morning before I got to work on client stuff.
All in all, very happy with my progress. Just could use a few more hours in my day (couldn't we all).
~Graham
You sound busy. :)
Do you find it hard to maintain interest in your own writing when you've been writing all day at work? Or is that not really an issue for you?
What's your next novel? Have you revealed any details on that yet? Good luck with it!
(and, yes, if you discover how to manipulate time do let me know)
Yes - always busy... lol I don't even have a minute to research that all-important time manipulation algorithm...
And yes, I often find it difficult to drag myself down to the office again at night to work on personal projects when I've been working all day. It's not so much an interest thing but a "the creative well is dry" kind of thing. Mental and creative exhaustion doesn't lend to great novel writing.
I've come to terms with this though and I just do what I can do. Still disappointing, but I feel less guilt about it. Work has to come first!
~Graham
Do you work from home? I think that probably makes it harder, as well. Pre-Covid I at least had a change of physical location. I'm fortunate to have a desktop and laptop computer, so sometimes I'll write in a different room just to refresh my brain slightly and not be in the same 4 walls for the entire day.
If I don't feel able to write decent words I'll often switch to development mode and tinker with plot, or characters, or world building instead. Still useful, still progress, even if it isn't in direct word count.
Yes, I've worked from home since the beginning. Though I recognize it's not for everyone, I love it. Can't beat the commutes! And when the kids were little, it was helpful to be around if they needed something at school or when they came home, etc.
One huge advantage is that I can come and go from the office as I please. The freelance joke I use is, "As long as you get your 16 hours in a day, it doesn't matter when you do it..."
I think I would have liked to have worked in an agency for a time. But other than that, I love my office, love that I can come down anytime -- and most of all love that I can leave anytime. It also made it easier adjusting to COVID since it didn't really disrupt my work life.
In terms of writing, it's the perfect creative space simply because it's closed off and relatively quiet.
~Graham
I'm working on some historical film essays, and I'm taking a class with my college right now in which we write about our inner feelings/identity. It's been really freeing to have an outlet for thinking about that stuff.
Not sure I'd call myself a writer. Working on a novel though at the moment, 1st draft, not good to be read yet.
Sounds to me like you're a writer. As Eimear McBride said in a video I produced a while back, "if you're a writer, you'll write. If you're not, you won't."
Worth a watch for sure: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWxemflYLqA
I don't believe in any grand barriers or thresholds you have to meet in order to 'be' a writer. If you're writing, then you're a writer.
Getting to a point where *you're* happy with the quality of the writing is a completely separate thing, of course! :)
I wouldn't consider myself a writer, but I do my best to translate my thoughts into actual written words 😅
Currently writing onepersonbusiness.substack.com
Hello! You've had a busy month of writing. Really like the idea of focusing on something specific, as you've done. Writing about tiny 1-person businesses is a fascinating topic as it immediately creates a sense of "oh, I could do this!" in any reader. It doesn't seem like an impossible goal.
Thanks! Also, I really like the way you framed it. Most businesses are indeed tiny, and that might ressonate even better with the audience I'm trying to get to. I'll have to think about that.
It's definitely good to have a clear focus with a newsletter. That's something I'm still wrestling with here - it's harder to have a clear USP with fiction (especially when I shuffle in some non-fiction how-to- stuff as well!).
Thanks! I appreciate you.