I said in December that I was planning a soft relaunch of my Substack, and, while I won’t be posting regularly again until later this month (or early February), I thought you might be interested in what exactly I’m planning.
I thought that I needed more focus. While I enjoyed writing newsletters and an eclectic array of longer pieces, it became obvious that it was all a little bit muddled. So I’ve decided that, though I can’t promise to keep off politics and other contentious stuff here, this Substack is to be a space for musings of a more literary and personal nature. Those were some of my favourite pieces to write last year, so it seems natural to make those the focus now. Besides, I can pontificate and opine elsewhere; why not use this more intimate space for something more, well, intimate?
So, here’s the plan:
On Mondays, I’ll post a reading from a book or an essay or a poem that I want to share. I quite enjoyed doing those Hitchens readings last month, and, as friends of mine will tell you, I have a penchant for reading aloud to people, whether they consent or not. How well I do this is another matter entirely, and regardless, I’m hardly set up for professional audio recording. But I enjoy it enough to think it worthwhile. I’ll try to keep these readings short.
On Thursdays, I’m going to rotate between essays of a literary/personal bent and pieces of fiction. So one week it’ll be an essay, the next a short story, and the next an essay again… and so on. I’ve been saying for a while now that I’d like to get back into writing fiction, so why not use this as a place to pursue that aim? I’m a bit rusty on that front, and perhaps I’m no good anyway, but again: I enjoy it, and you’re a semi-captive audience, so what the hell?
On Sundays, I’ll post an audio version of the Thursday piece. Yes, I like reading aloud!
This is once more a loose structure rather than a set of strictures, and I reserve the right to evolve this Substack as and when and however I choose. But I think this structure and focus will improve the place while not radically changing it; more fresh wallpaper and comfier chairs than a full revamp.
On subscribing: I’ve decided to make this a little simpler for now. Everything will be free and you won’t need to sign up as all posts will be public. But signing up means you get me in your inbox every week (rather than relying on me haphazardly sharing posts on Twitter), and it means rather a lot to be invited into that most intimate of digital spaces. And if you can pay and would like to support me, it would be very much appreciated. In time, perhaps, this structure too will evolve, and I’ll be able to provide exclusive content to sign-ups and paying punters. It would only be fair, after all, to give something back to those who do just a touch extra for me.
For now, thanks for reading, and I’ll see you again in a few weeks. Happy 2022!
DJS x