A Writing Room of One’s Own.
A Writing Room of One’s Own
Have you ever wanted a writing room of your own?
I recently started a fiction Substack. I’d been meaning to do it before and just never got round to it. It was partly because I had a huge backlog of writing going back decades. I couldn’t make up my mind where to start with it. This also held me back in writing anything new. Developmental editing work also got in the way.
The reason I finally decided to open the second Substack was that I hoped that in starting to get stories off my computer, done and dusted as it were, I might free up mental space for where my writing focus really needed to be.
Funnily enough, within posting two stories, my brain started to come up with story titles (without plots attached to them yet). Then after a few more postings, the creative engine in my brain was running and I had completely new ideas. The whole point was to break both the backlog and the deadlock with new writing. It might be too soon to say for sure if this will work, but posting does seem to help.
One of my stories also ended up on the Top in Fiction list for Issue 15.
Otherwise, I think having a little quiet corner of the internet helps. Especially given the constant distractions of social media.
Some of the stories I’ve posted there appeared elsewhere a long time ago. But far more have not. Ultimately, I have big novels I could serialise in due course, but I’m starting out with short stories for the time being.
Influx of fiction writers to Substack
That brings me to the influx of many new writers into Substack from other platforms. I’m seeing a lot of new fiction and non-fiction writers announcing their arrival in the notes section of the Substack app. Some people bemoan the newbies with large followings they’ve brought from elsewhere.
I’m also seeing complaints about “writing gurus” and editors posting articles – basically calling them grifters. Since the writers posting want to advertise their own writing, then I feel there’s an element of hypocrisy here. Especially since some of those so-called gurus and editors have been there longer.
But there are writing advice posts that seem to me unhelpful for those who write more intuitively. Not all writers are completely conscious of the decisions they make when writing, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. You need a certain objectivity later for polishing and editing, but some advice to me looks too much like micromanaging. Too much of this on different writing topics and it becomes overwhelming for newer writers.
Serialisation as a publishing option
Otherwise, I recently completed an outline critique for a client – 11,000 words of a novel outline including character profiles. I wrote a 4,000 word report and left loads of margin comments. The client was delighted.
Since she mentioned self-publishing as her goal, I added an option in the report I hadn’t included before – on serialisation on Substack or other platforms. If more fiction writers flock over here, it will obviously become a more viable option for those looking for readers. The normal self-publication route is the more obvious one, and many will see it as the best route. But it’s worth mentioning the alternatives if there are any.
Non-fiction writers and journalists have done well on Substack. It’s a site that caters to freelance journalism, supported by subscribers. Whether fiction will work so well on the same model remains to be seen. For the time being, mainstream and indie writing will continue to be the two main routes to readers. But with Substack and Ream (another serial fiction site), there is definitely a third option that could work for some people. It all depends on your goals.
I’ve done little to promote my fiction or non-fiction Substacks since my main blog is here on my site. But if you’re interested in checking out my fiction Substack, you will find it at the link below. And if you decide to join the site, feel free to follow or subscribe. My posts are free to read.
The art at the top is by Aleksandra at Fusion Dreams.
Looking for feedback on your novel or memoir?
If you need someone to take a look over your opening chapters, the whole novel, or your outline, feel free to email me at karen@indiecateditorial.com. I offer free 2000 word samples if you want to test drive my services. This does not apply to outlines or short stories since are much shorter to start with.
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