Hello. I am here now.
Or, It's me. I have arrived.
I am learning the interface.
Mostly I was going to use my first post to quickly complain about the strange way to add, and seeming irrelevance of passwords for logging in to Substack, but I have been informed that your first post is key. So I will also tell you some things to make myself sound interesting. Lucky that there was a whole template to use, because who's good at that?
Keep reading…
Was that a catchy hook?
It must have been good enough if you’re still here. Experience this and other catchy topics by subscribing now!
But I guess I also promised information. Who even am I? I’m just some guy. I do a lot of things. My main job is audio transcription, but I also do street poetry and dabble in visual art and graphic design as well, in terms of established facts. I'm also on a much broader creative journey, and people on similar paths seem to be congregating here, so it felt like a good time to show up and share some things about that, maybe.
My interests and special interests that will plausibly appear in this space are writing, world building, mythology, storytelling, linguistics, constructed languages, classical poetry, and other bard-adjacent subjects. Other prominent related interests and hobbies are fantasy, science fiction, video games, old time radio, classic pulp magazines, folk music, art, nature, and curiosities.
My primary endeavor of late is writing a YA fantasy adventure novel about growing up, coming to terms with loss, and also saving the world a little bit. Before that idea overtook me, I was in the midst of developing a middle grade science fiction series that has been put on the shelf for now. (Loosely inspired by Mr. Peabody, Back to the Future, et al.) I also have a million (rough estimate) other projects and stories brewing that, resource willing, I'll one day be expanding into books, video games, graphic novels, animated shorts and series, and maybe even live action motion pictures.
I also have a strong calling to establish an author-first publishing house. Be on the lookout for that at the time when my debut novel is ready to hit shelves, because we're not taking any guff from the censors, paying agents to add no value, or relying on cheap print on demand services owned by oligarchs.
Also, I am well aware that I use “also” a lot. Like A LOT. I promise it does not saturate my creative prose and poetry the way it does these more conversational editorial texts.
Substack is for community?
That’s a little bold, don’t you think? This space isn’t about you. It’s about me. Or maybe it's about what I can do for you.
Tired of the same old writing advice? Indulge me while I rant about everything I hate in the current landscape of writing mandates and prohibitions. Let me encourage you to find your own voice by ignoring everything the “experts” tell you to do. We're artists. We're not here to fall into commercialized patterns and chase “success.” We're here to set the trends with work that we're proud of. Just keep telling yourself that and you'll believe it too.
Do you like poetry? Maybe I will share some fun little poems. Maybe I'll share some tips about creating your own fun little poems. With authentic rhyme and meter! I might talk about some of my favorite classics. Maybe I will throw shade on the landscape of modern poetry, but maybe it’s in an effort to elevate how people approach composition. Who knows? Perhaps I’ll even sometimes low-key ply iambic pentameter by and by.
Are you struggling to create a fantasy world? Tune in for quick tips and deep dives into all things world building. I'll share some of my methods for crafting comprehensive settings that feel lived in. I have a lifetime of daydreaming to pull from, fueled by extensive educational television viewing and Wikipedia benders, plus over 20 years of roleplaying in online, tabletop, and live action settings, and more than 10 years involved in creating worlds, characters, and adventures that other humans have enjoyed experiencing.
Do you speak a language? If you answered “no,” I think you’re lying. Or you need to teach me the secrets of absorbing information through psychic methods, please. I mostly speak English, but I have a hobby of starting to learn other languages, getting distracted, and never following through to achieve any practical ability. So I know a lot of things about languages. Maybe I will share some of my favorite language quirks and fun facts. I also have a minor obsession with using this knowledge to create new languages for my various settings. If you are also interested in this, it may be a sign of neurodivergence, and sure, it’s a lot less practical than learning a real language, but I can still touch on some solid approaches to doing this yourself. (There are dozens of fluent Klingon speakers and that is a form of validation.)
Have you let your inner child DIE? I’m calling CPS, first of all. But it may not be too late. With my penchant for wonder and whimsy, I may yet restore the spark of imagination inside of you and let that child flourish once again. (This is legally distinct from necromancy, abyssal sorcery, and miraculous works. It’s a call to action that only you can answer. Are you going to let yourself down just like that?)
Are you actually expecting content?
Oh-ho-ho, think again. I don’t have that kind of discipline, time management, or stability in my life, and I don’t appreciate all the pressure. Give me a little room to breathe, thanks.
In seriousness, I will be making an earnest effort to produce posts and articles with some degree of regularity, but I have a lot going on right now. I won’t make guarantees. But I can promise that content, while questionable (everything is subjective) will be presented in a way that may make you believe I actually know what I’m talking about.
On general principle, I don’t believe in gatekeeping knowledge and hate paywalls. But also I am a starving artist. I’m out here in the world trying to push poems and niche junk. We haven’t gotten that best-seller yet. Times are tough. The other guys are over here with their premium offerings. Why not me? Know that if I’m charging for content, I believe it’s actually providing value and/or real insights. Maybe I'll also throw in some creative writing previews as a treat. (Plus, you're not just acquiring knowledge. You are also supporting the realization of all those things that I mentioned above.) Opinions will always be free.
See what I did there? The default template coached me about using the buttons to make it easy for people to subscribe. So you know that I can absorb knowledge and apply it effectively. That basically proves I’m a reliable and trustworthy source of guidance. Will you also absorb this wisdom? There’s only one way to find out.
People like pictures. I like pictures too.
It’s supposed to increase visibility or something, but nobody needs to see those pre-selected colored pencils that aren’t organized by color, nor aligned neatly. We don’t want that kind of anxiety here. Let’s look at space. Imagine it’s some kind of metaphor for the vast new worlds and expansive ideas we’ll experience together. Cool!
I'm not saying that I will put this picture of space in every article. I'm just saying that looking for relevant pictures is a lot of work and I really appreciate NASA, so it's not going to hurt to get used to seeing this picture now.
Where the headings get progressively smaller.
I was told there is no right way to do this and encouraged to experiment. By advising people of their own agency and framing your instruction as mere suggestions, you remove your direct liability if they crash and burn by diverging wildly from the predictable formulae. Well played, Substack introductory post pre-filled copy, for reminding us that nobody is infallible. If you, like me, might enjoy applying questionable advice in questionable ways, you might also like subscribing to my content.
Also, be advised that levels of sarcasm will not be this high on more substantive posts. Humor is supposed to be engaging or something. How else was I supposed to get you to read this far? My writing style is actually exceptionally dry when it's quite instructional, and increasingly flippant when discussing my own self. We're not working on that, okay? We're here to escape reality through charming fancies and fantastical stories. And if you're also consuming content on the internet to escape reality or develop new skills rather than do the hard inner work necessary to actually grow as a person, then come right along. We're going on an adventure!
(The headings will not shrink in the future, probably. No content in this article series is legal advice. Check out the works on my website (and socials linked therein) for further material evidence you may use to evaluate me as a person of writing talent or things of value to say.)