Dear Reader…
Welcome to a Special Edition of the Weekly, my friends!
While it may seem like overkill, I am a firm believer in overcommunication with my readers, and I wanted to give a quick update about where I am personally, flag up some subtle but important changes you can expect for the remainder of the month, and bring us all onto the same page in every way possible.
I don’t want to take up too much of your time, so read on!
Preventative Measures
After spending the last few weeks wondering what’s going on with me, struggling with motivation and focus and creative “verve”, I finally have to admit it to myself…and also to you:
Your grateful storyteller is flirting with the early stages of burnout, my friends.
But I believe that the earlier you catch such things the faster you can fix them, so I’m putting some repair measures into place, starting today.
My goal for this season has been to post one piece of short fiction a week (or 3-4 a month, ideally), along with my serial episodes. As you may or may not have noticed, the short fiction has fallen by the wayside lately. It’s not for lack of trying, but I’ve just been finding it difficult to focus on short fiction, which is usually a signal that my brain is getting a little fried.
I have a lot of exciting things planned for this year, so I want to do my utmost to find margins where I can take them.
Practically speaking, here’s what you can expect for the rest of February:
No short fiction. I’m sorry about this one, but it’s the one piece of low-hanging fruit that I know I can set aside for now and give my brain a little space.
Archive Poll: our Archive members usually vote on a piece of short fiction from each month to go behind the paywall at the end of the season. This time around, our poll will include a combination of all the stories from January and the one in February. Look out for that soon!
Freelance and Fishmaids will conclude as planned. Don’t you worry; our seasonal serial is where a LOT of that extra energy has been going this month, and the story will end as planned on March 1st with no hiccups or delays! (And stay tuned after the conclusion for a peek into What’s Next…)
March Hiatus. I had already planned to take a hiatus in the month of March for personal reasons, but I’m going to give an early heads-up about it here, to make sure it doesn’t come as a surprise. More details to follow!
If you’re newer around here—or haven’t had a chance yet—I would love for you to head over to our Ferris Island Index and Off-Island Index to explore the fiction of various lengths I’ve already posted! There’s plenty to look at, both free and paid-only, and there will be more to come soon.
Quick Round-Up!
In Case You Missed It…
ISSUE EIGHTEEN of TALESTACK NEWS dropped this week, with a roundup of the latest fiction updates from around the Substack neighborhood, including new projects, shoutouts, milestones, and more!
Freelance and Fishmaids, our 12-part episodic novella, is heading for its conclusion! Here’s how you can get involved:
Check out the Table of Contents for the synopsis and episode list
Jump straight into the First Episode
All caught up? Read Episode Ten: Don’t Go Away, if you haven’t already
The next episode drops this Friday, so stay tuned!
Finally, I’m trying to refill my docket as a freelance writer and editor heading into Spring, so if you (or someone you know) are in need of a wordsmith, an outline-doctor, or an extra pair of eyes, please do check out my Work With Me page for rates and an explanation of what I can do for you.
Feel free to reach out with any questions!
Thank you for reading!
Ah, friends. The mixed blessing of having such a gracious readership is that I want to give you everything all the time, because I genuinely love sharing stories with you. It’s the best feeling in the entire world.
But of course, I know that trying to share from a near-empty cup is a recipe for disaster. So I hope that by pulling back a little bit, I can move forward even better.
For those willing to stick with me: thank you so much for being here, for reading, and for engaging in whatever ways feel most comfortable to you. This is the best readership on Substack (it’s true; experts agree) and I can’t wait to show you all the fun things I have in store!
Your grateful storyteller,
Glad you're listening to your body. Take that rest, enjoy your hiatus.
When better to recharge batteries than spring? Enjoy, smile lots, walk lots and breathe… look after you x