What's Next?

Keep it simple and write from the heart.

Kristina Tamasauskaite, Unsplash

I’m relatively new to Substack and when I began the venture my plan was to post biweekly. I was concerned that writing every week would distract me from other writing that I’m committed to. I had no idea what to expect when I began this journey, other than that this would be a venue where I could explore all sorts of things other than what I usually write about, and that I wouldn’t have to worry so much about whether I missed the placement of a comma.

So far, my involvement has been positive in ways I’d hoped it would be, but also in unexpected ways. I’d hoped that it would relax my mind, loosen up my thoughts, and that it has. My writing editor has been surprised and pleased at the more laid-back voice that’s emerged, and has even suggested that I “pretend” I’m writing a Substack blog when I approach my other writing. And then there’s what’s been unexpected: the seemingly mundane events or moments that I wouldn’t have given much thought to in the past are catching my attention, and I’m taking note of what I might’ve otherwise not seen. As I’ve often been told as a student of writing, you don’t need a traumatic childhood or exotic experiences to happen to you to create a compelling story. Capture the “ordinary.” Recently, I read Joyce Maynard’s memoir, At Home in the World. What struck me, aside from her unusual childhood and early commitment to her writer-life, was her attention to her world at large. She writes that she was trained to be an observer and that acuity of observation is evident throughout her story. I also see that awareness and attention to detail in

Rona Maynard

’s writing, The Amazement Seeker.

Coming to the close of 2024, like so many people, I can’t help but think about what’s next. In fact, as a Jew, I get to do this twice each year, recognizing both the Jewish New Year and the New Year celebrated by most of the world, according to the Gregorian calendar. What’s Next is a huge question. Consider it a late day version of what do I want to be when I grow up. There’s What’s Next in terms of big life goals in the context of how much time I’ve left–who knows–so far I’ve been lucky but who knows. And there’s What’s Next in terms of what’s in front of me, the here and now.

This in-my-head conversation began when I was exploring what I’d write about for my upcoming post for The Armchair Journalist. I was reaching my two-weeks due date. Which is not to say that I find this writing a burden. But my forthcoming Substack wasn’t obvious, and that lead me to the larger question of the kinds of things that I want to write about, not just for tomorrow, but going forward into the New Year. Which lead me to think about the posts that I’ve read that have impacted me. Sometimes they’re personal remembrances, a story with a more-or-less typical narrative arc. Sometimes they’re more abstract in nature, what I might call ‘ponderings,’ and sometimes they’re more informational. What I’ve noticed lately is that I really appreciate posts that intertwine a commentary on let’s say a television show or a book, with the writer’s response to what they’ve seen or read. As an example, this week

Grant Faulkner

wrote about the TV series, Somebody Somewhere, and how affected he was by the story of a friendship, the depiction of small town life, and how the show embodies art created with love. Faulkner’s sharing reflected that love. So where does this leave me? I don’t think of myself as a story teller, though I wish I was better at that type of writing. I’m just not good at making things up. The idea of “Armchair Journalist” came about because of how and what I write about, my tendency to take on issues, hence ‘Journalist,’ and ‘Armchair’ because I could still be my ten-year old self covering world events, seated at my radiator desk in my childhood bedroom, that served as a newsroom from which I wrote my reports. That’s been the through-thread of my writing, my underlying need to believe that I can change the world. I came of age walking in a circle with the Black Panthers, waving Mao’s Red Book in the air, chanting “Power, Power to the People.” So now, what about that power?

Then there is also the larger question of what I write about outside of Substack. Much of what I’ve focused on has been concerned with gender and sexual equity, and with sex. And with pornography and feminism. Encountering myself through the process, what an eye-opening experience this has been for me, personally and otherwise. And it seems even more relevant with the advent of Project 2025, which doesn’t do women or non-CIS gender identified individuals or sex workers any favors.

Ultimately, it’s about what has meaning for me that will hopefully resonate with others. Keep it simple and write from the heart. “Whether we’re strangers or friends, we’re deeply connected.”

Sarah Fay

.