Mary! So cool that you are doing this. I am happily a subscriber. Ya know before I saw your notes about it being free I sent in like $500. So could you maybe send that back to me? You don't want my children to starve do you?
Selective myopia. Such a wonderful thing. What are you planning to spend Kurt's never sent $500 that you've never noticed receiving on Mary?
Serious myopia. The cataract that's been de-visioning my left eye of late. Optician's for me next week, it'll be nice to see my latest favourite ophthalmologist - Suki - again. Even better, assuming I remember to put my audiological loss compensators in my lug-holes, to hear clearly what she has to say about the when concerning of corrective intervention
Oh and by the way, before I forget, never to recall . . . nice to have noticed and clicked to this What Now Stack you've launched, and now looking forward to finding out more about how you will be building and burgering it up in forthcoming posts.
"What's now or not ever to be?" was the first raw question that crossed Shakespeare's mind when he was seeking the pivot point on which to hinge his way then mere play in the making working titled Thelma.
In life, I run on time. Online, I'm perpetually late to the party. But this looks like a great party, so I'm going to plop,bounce,smoothlyslide,slither,awkwardlyanglemyankles down onto this couch and catch up a bit and see if I can't interrupt a side conversation and get in on the main action at some point. Great idea, mary! also I'll take a piece of Kurt's $500 too!
Thanks Mary... this is a really a lovely idea. There's a productive energy in there, I can feel it, and the permission to write just to write is so important to hear and hear again.
Of course. Please go ahead. As a completely separate thing, but a line I thought you'd enjoy, I read this in a novel the other day, from a character thinking to themself...
'If we were all suddenly somebody else.'
Well, isn't that a thought, and isn't that also what we feel when writing or reading sometimes!!
Oh, fun! I'm very excited for this! Especially with you at "the helm," Mary g. I love your pontifications. And your writing. And your ideas. And your encouragement. And I love, love, love that you've decided to do this! Unless you change your mind and that's okay, too. This feels like the safest, most forgiving, and kindest place to play with our writing. And I need some accountability, as I explained in a post on Story Club. I mean, I know I won't flunk out of "what now?" if I don't write a story but still. I am creating an expectation for myself to give it all I've got. Shitty or not.
Patti! Yay! You are here! I think you just hit the "subscribe" button on any of my Substack pages and that will take you to the "no pay" option. Yes, I want this to be a place where people can feel some freedom about their writing. Where everything is okay! I've been pondering "a story a week" idea for a long time now, and, well, I'm only getting older! The time is now, apparently. And yes, no flunking here. Just a lot of cheering. Thanks so much for joining in. xoox
Yay! (Oh, man, figuring out how to set up a Substack....my brain was exploding. This substack will never be pretty like the other ones...too much fiddling around!)
Yay Mary! I joined without having any coffee...doing something before coffee is a big deal but I knew I'd love your concept. Fun! And Tod Cheney and David are here!
You, me, David and Tod! I'm so lucky! Now go drink some coffee! (Hey--a question. Does it ask you to pay when you sign up? It's always gonna be free and i don't want anyone to think I'm asking for money. Let me know, okay? Thanks!
I managed to find a way to let new subscribers who come across the "payment page" know that it's free. But don't ask me how I did it! I've already forgotten. I did make it possible to pay if someone is a billionaire and loves me. But there's a note there that says "everything is free." If you don't want the billionaire option, you can turn off payments altogether on the settings page. (If you never turned on the "pay" option, then there's nothing really for you to do.)
It constantly asks, yes. As does mine, I'm sure. Mine wasn't even a serious attempt at having a Substack, I just wanted to share my kick ass road trip.
Hi Tod! Yes, I probably should have called it "a prompt a week." And then anyone who feels like joining in by writing to the prompt is welcome to do so. or not. I'll see how it goes. Thanks for being here!
I believe it's a way to sort of "copy and paste" into the Notes section of Substack. But I have never re-stacked anything, so I'm not sure how exactly it works. (I did google "what is a re-stack on Substack" and there's info there.)
Safe places are the most dangerous
( thanks to Jim Smacks for showing me I already wrote my 6 word life story elsewhere )
Mary! So cool that you are doing this. I am happily a subscriber. Ya know before I saw your notes about it being free I sent in like $500. So could you maybe send that back to me? You don't want my children to starve do you?
Kurt, for some reason i can't read your message here....? Maybe try again? (I'm so glad you are here, Kurt! Yay!!!)
Selective myopia. Such a wonderful thing. What are you planning to spend Kurt's never sent $500 that you've never noticed receiving on Mary?
Serious myopia. The cataract that's been de-visioning my left eye of late. Optician's for me next week, it'll be nice to see my latest favourite ophthalmologist - Suki - again. Even better, assuming I remember to put my audiological loss compensators in my lug-holes, to hear clearly what she has to say about the when concerning of corrective intervention
Oh and by the way, before I forget, never to recall . . . nice to have noticed and clicked to this What Now Stack you've launched, and now looking forward to finding out more about how you will be building and burgering it up in forthcoming posts.
"What's now or not ever to be?" was the first raw question that crossed Shakespeare's mind when he was seeking the pivot point on which to hinge his way then mere play in the making working titled Thelma.
So great to see you here, Rob! I knew you'd find your way here eventually....
In life, I run on time. Online, I'm perpetually late to the party. But this looks like a great party, so I'm going to plop,bounce,smoothlyslide,slither,awkwardlyanglemyankles down onto this couch and catch up a bit and see if I can't interrupt a side conversation and get in on the main action at some point. Great idea, mary! also I'll take a piece of Kurt's $500 too!
Yay! Welcome, Lee!
Thanks Mary... this is a really a lovely idea. There's a productive energy in there, I can feel it, and the permission to write just to write is so important to hear and hear again.
hi Niall! Thanks for signing on!
Mary, I am already grieving at the thought of reaching 52 prompts and there being no more.
You have made me feel like a writer, like someone who writes and enjoys writing and writes to enjoy.
Niall! Thank you thank you thank you. This is the BEST note! And fear not--I will definitely keep going if people here want me to.
Hey Niall--any chance you'd mind if i "shared" your note with others in a Note? Absolutely okay to say no! No worries!
Of course. Please go ahead. As a completely separate thing, but a line I thought you'd enjoy, I read this in a novel the other day, from a character thinking to themself...
'If we were all suddenly somebody else.'
Well, isn't that a thought, and isn't that also what we feel when writing or reading sometimes!!
Totally! And also--a good prompt. I'm gonna add this to my list. Thanks!
Yay!!
I'm in!
Hi Iam! Glad you're here!
Oh, fun! I'm very excited for this! Especially with you at "the helm," Mary g. I love your pontifications. And your writing. And your ideas. And your encouragement. And I love, love, love that you've decided to do this! Unless you change your mind and that's okay, too. This feels like the safest, most forgiving, and kindest place to play with our writing. And I need some accountability, as I explained in a post on Story Club. I mean, I know I won't flunk out of "what now?" if I don't write a story but still. I am creating an expectation for myself to give it all I've got. Shitty or not.
Patti! Yay! You are here! I think you just hit the "subscribe" button on any of my Substack pages and that will take you to the "no pay" option. Yes, I want this to be a place where people can feel some freedom about their writing. Where everything is okay! I've been pondering "a story a week" idea for a long time now, and, well, I'm only getting older! The time is now, apparently. And yes, no flunking here. Just a lot of cheering. Thanks so much for joining in. xoox
I figured out that I already did that—I'm already "in." (I'm a Substack neophyte.)
Yay! (Oh, man, figuring out how to set up a Substack....my brain was exploding. This substack will never be pretty like the other ones...too much fiddling around!)
I think it's beautiful just the way it is. :)
I love this already! An exercise every week will be great to keep the ink running!
I don’t know if I’ll share the outcome yet 🫣
You never have to share. Feel no pressure! So happy you are here.
Yay Mary! I joined without having any coffee...doing something before coffee is a big deal but I knew I'd love your concept. Fun! And Tod Cheney and David are here!
You, me, David and Tod! I'm so lucky! Now go drink some coffee! (Hey--a question. Does it ask you to pay when you sign up? It's always gonna be free and i don't want anyone to think I'm asking for money. Let me know, okay? Thanks!
Good question that I've wondered about myself.
I've had people say they would subscribe but don't want to pay and I tell them it's free.
But I've been lazy about figuring out how everything works. :)
I managed to find a way to let new subscribers who come across the "payment page" know that it's free. But don't ask me how I did it! I've already forgotten. I did make it possible to pay if someone is a billionaire and loves me. But there's a note there that says "everything is free." If you don't want the billionaire option, you can turn off payments altogether on the settings page. (If you never turned on the "pay" option, then there's nothing really for you to do.)
OK :) What I take away from this is make damn sure the billionaire option is turned on for my account.
Right!
It constantly asks, yes. As does mine, I'm sure. Mine wasn't even a serious attempt at having a Substack, I just wanted to share my kick ass road trip.
Okay, thanks. I'm gonna head into the bowels of this thing and see if there's a way to edit it properly. Thank you.
Hi mary g! Nice to see other Story Clubites here. Now we know what now.
Hi there, Lesley M.! Yes, so many of the names here feel like old friends from George's substack. I love it!
Thanks for doing this! it can certainly be intimidating to write in the "empty space" :-) but great to know there are people of good will here!
Happy to have you!
Go, Mary, go!
George Saunders in the house! (Thank you so much, George. Just great to see you here.)
Thanks for the re-stack, Karen!
No apologies necessary.
Sounds like a good idea, especially the pontificating part :)
Might there be the slimmest odds someone writes a good story?
I already have a hard time keeping up with the volume of writing on Story Club.
Actually I don't keep up. So not sure how this would go.
But might manage a one sentence story now and then, "or not."
The use of this "or not" is handy isn't it, and reminds me of "sort of" from that Russian story.
On the other hand, it may be getting overused. Or not.
Hi Tod! Yes, I probably should have called it "a prompt a week." And then anyone who feels like joining in by writing to the prompt is welcome to do so. or not. I'll see how it goes. Thanks for being here!
what exactly is a re-stack?
I believe it's a way to sort of "copy and paste" into the Notes section of Substack. But I have never re-stacked anything, so I'm not sure how exactly it works. (I did google "what is a re-stack on Substack" and there's info there.)