Welcome to the Labyrinth... Now What?
An introductory post to my substack newsletter.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
What is this?
Anatomy of a Substack
The Hobby Report
WHAT IS THIS?
Last week I binged a podcast. This is not a particularly news worthy event for me, especially when it’s a gripping fiction podcast. But that’s the thing.
This was nonfiction.
It was a podcast from BBC Sounds, the folks that aim for youth and pleasantly hit older millennial, called THE NEW GURUS. Asking, what does a guru look like in 2022 (now 2023)? They covered conspiracy theorists, wellness coaches, productivity managers, even bitcoin enthusiasts, all while making comparisons to religion, fandom, and the human need to look to someone else for answers.
I don’t claim to be a guru, especially not of writing. But I am an enthusiast. I love the beast of story, and believe in the power of story as well as the merits of story in different mediums. I write live action TV and features, animation TV and features, audio drama, plays, books, and comics. And I find that not only do I love to write stories, I love to study stories. What makes a story enjoyable for me, but not for others? What structures are found across all platforms? What trends can teach us about the state of humanity?
What I want from this email is to create a community for writers to talk about all forms of writing. I’ve often found that we are segmented into particular categories. There are not many courses aimed at multimedia writers, few books written that span different mediums.
In 2023, we cannot afford to just be writers of one medium. But often we are told to stay in our lanes, stick to the mediums where people know how to sell us. I understand that, I sympathize. But we have so many stories to tell that can be told in a variety of different formats.
So let’s get to it.
ANATOMY OF A SUBSTACK
I’m aiming for a newsletter at the end of each month. Whether or not I accomplish it remains to be seen, but that’s the goal.
For free subscribers, you’ll have access to the monthly newsletters, as well as the free sections on discord, where we will have an open community. In the past, I’ve not been very good at figuring out how to use discord, but that will be the challenge of 2023.
Each month, the newsletter will focus on a particular medium (for instance, next month will be COMICS!). I will discuss:
🌸 my history with the medium and what it evokes in me.
🌸 what lessons I’ve learned when writing in that medium.
🌸 how that medium helps you understand writing in other mediums.
🌸 and how to adapt something into that medium.
Also in the free newsletter, I will talk about what I read/watched/listened to that month. Different inspirations.
Finally, I will also comment on the hobby I’m trying out each month. I don’t know about you, but when you turn your beloved hobby of writing into your career, you struggle finding something to replace it. At least, that’s true for me. I’ll talk about January’s attempted hobby at the end of this news letter. What is it? MUDLARKING.
For the paid subscribers:
🌺 Once I month I will be breaking down a story in the medium we are discussing. So, next month, I will be analyzing and breaking down a comic. I’ll put up a poll in the discord to see what comic receives the most votes and that will be what I break down. If there aren’t any votes, then I get to choose.
🌺 You’ll get access to the Paid Subscribers Area of the Discord, where I will be posting most frequently about what I’m watching/reading/listening to - think of it as your local internet water cooler. Come and join the conversation!
For the MultiMedia Writers:
🌼 You’ll get all the above!
🌼 You’ll also get access to me! Some exceptions may apply, I will limit my time to responses to once a day. But have a question about writing? Want to talk through a story problem? Need career advice?
🌼 You’ll also received a signed copy of one of the things I’ve written of your choice (with a few exceptions).
I’m excited to start this journey with you all. Let’s get writing!
THE HOBBY REPORT
And now, for the hobby report.
This month on my journey to find a hobby, I decided to try MUDLARKING. I’m in London this month and Mudlarking is a particular fascination here. It’s a sort of amateur archeology, walking along the river Thames and engaging with the past. Since the Thames is one of the only tidal rivers in Europe, the river often reveals it’s secrets, only to hide them away again when the waters rise. There are artifacts in the river from the Roman era, when they made London a cold, frigid outpost in the north.
I’m sorry to say I’ve not had much luck in Mudlarking. You’re supposed to get a permit, but the Thames authority isn’t giving out any at this time. However, I’ve been reading MUDLARK by Lara Maiklem, which seems to imply that I don’t need a permit for certain areas not as close to the center of London, as long as I’m not digging. So I aim to get a pair of thick gloves this week and see if I can make it to the shores of the Thames before the month is out.
What hobby should I try in February?
Until next month,
Meghan Fitzmartin