I'm about six months late to this post (I only just found this), what a wonderful interview! I've seen some modest success serializing my own Dracula-inspired epistolary vampire novel here on Substack, so I can confirm there's a lot of wisdom in the discussion you had perspective and form and how they apply to the email format.
This is a relief to hear! For those of us whose health does not allow “every Monday” or necessarily every week, but then deliver a surge series boom-boom-boom... the customary algorithm model haaaates us. And punishes us.
For we who sometimes write an installment that is a handful of little paragraphs and then some midsize installments with uniform length and then one thick one and then a random section of verse... for we who do not rotate character POVs like the minute hand on a clock, it is a relief to hear that some readers actually enjoy never knowing what will show up when.
I am that reader. It’s one of the things I love most about my favorite newsletter instructor. As such, I am also that writer so this was such a joy to hear! And to see how it’s done well. 🤓
Yaaaaas. Word counts on the small and large scale have always been a frustration of my writing. My rhythms never seemed to hit them. Either too large or too small. Now I can just make beats. And treats. And meals. 🤓😻🤩
Aha! See? I feel like I should know that. Excuse me while I go look for a 101-year-old eco-fiction book to serialize. . . . This one from 1949 isn't quite there yet: "Earth Abides" by George R. Stewart.
I'm about six months late to this post (I only just found this), what a wonderful interview! I've seen some modest success serializing my own Dracula-inspired epistolary vampire novel here on Substack, so I can confirm there's a lot of wisdom in the discussion you had perspective and form and how they apply to the email format.
This is a relief to hear! For those of us whose health does not allow “every Monday” or necessarily every week, but then deliver a surge series boom-boom-boom... the customary algorithm model haaaates us. And punishes us.
For we who sometimes write an installment that is a handful of little paragraphs and then some midsize installments with uniform length and then one thick one and then a random section of verse... for we who do not rotate character POVs like the minute hand on a clock, it is a relief to hear that some readers actually enjoy never knowing what will show up when.
I am that reader. It’s one of the things I love most about my favorite newsletter instructor. As such, I am also that writer so this was such a joy to hear! And to see how it’s done well. 🤓
Excellent! It seems so right to do it this way, doesn't it? We're so married to word counts that have no relevance anymore.
Yaaaaas. Word counts on the small and large scale have always been a frustration of my writing. My rhythms never seemed to hit them. Either too large or too small. Now I can just make beats. And treats. And meals. 🤓😻🤩
Love it.
Great interview! Now I’m going to serialize Les Miserables. 😂 (if I can ever finish it)
I love this. That could be a lifelong endeavor!
Chapter 1 - In which we meet a really, really, really good priest who gives his silver away to a really bad but understandably so ex-prisoner.
You're making me want to reread it.
So we begin!
What a marvelous idea! I'm so curious about copyright issues, but will listen to your interview, which may answer that.
After 100 years, all copyrights expire!
Aha! See? I feel like I should know that. Excuse me while I go look for a 101-year-old eco-fiction book to serialize. . . . This one from 1949 isn't quite there yet: "Earth Abides" by George R. Stewart.
Perfect!