Feed Your Head: The Fall Wrap-Up
Sunday 12.01.24 ed.2
“Above all, be the heroine of your life, not the victim.”
~ Nora Ephron
Sunday 12.01.24 ed.2
Dear Readers,
Welcome to Feed Your Head’s final newsletter of 2024. What a wild ride it has been. I think I’ve found my tribe.
Let’s jump right in.
Polish & Publish
Writing is rewriting, so the saying goes. My work definitely requires polishing because I’m a terrible typist, for one. My grammar sucks. I hate commas, etc.
Plus, I usually expand descriptions and dig deeper in later drafts. Some writers have a knack for description, I have to tell myself the story before I can get into details.
It’s also worth polishing and republishing work on Substack because the posts are pay-walled after 30 days. I hope to make this a viable source of income some day.
However, when I dig posts out of the archive, dust them off, and update them, I’m giving new readers an opportunity to read polished paid content.
That 30-day window gives ya’ll plenty of time to read the posts without becoming a paid subscriber. But, if you’re so inclined, please join the group. There will be additional perks for paid subscribers in 2025.
I value your time either way. Thank you for supporting my writing habit!
Here’s a quick November recap.
On November 1, I posted Ray Bradbury’s short story, August 2026: There Will Come Soft Rains. Then, I followed it up by reposting the following article I wrote last year, before many people knew about my Substack.
When Art and Life Collide
Ray Bradbury's "August 2026 There Will Come Soft Rains" is an excellent example of how fiction and fact overlap when the writer asks the simple question—what if?
Edgar Allan Poe’s, The Telltale Heart, is one of my favorite classic tales of terror. Poe examines how emotions like guilt and shame, and refusing to acknowledge or accept responsibility, could drive a person insane.
In this post, I dig deeper into the devices Poe uses to draw us into his desperate character’s moral trauma.
The Yellow Wallpaper is a cautionary tale about losing one’s autonomy. There have been many adaptations, from radio, television, to film.
Here’s the follow-up commentary.
I’ll continue posting classics with my unsolicited musings on the author’s style. Dissecting another writer’s work helps me improve my writing. I hope I have something to say that inspires you and keeps you coming back.
These classic stories will remain free to read (they’re all in the public domain, after all).
Surprisingly (or not), the themes are still relevant, so much so that writers and filmmakers have revised and adapted many of these stories numerous times. There must be something about them that holds core information on timeless terrors.
Even AI knows there’s lots to gain from understanding the past. Just sayin’.
Writing Community
Substack is the place for writers online. Not only because we can share our work and theoretically get paid, but more-so because we can find other writers (and artists) to work with and inspire us. For that reason, I like to give a shout-out each month.
This month you’ll find many of my favorite writers, here:
The Substack Zone!
Curated by
and . I wasn’t invited, but they probably don’t know who I am. Or they hate me. Joking. Sort of.These sci-fi (horror) stories all riff off of the original Twilight Zone series. It’s absolutely some of the best writing on Substack. Have fun!
In Other News
My books are coming to market in 2025! The Mount Denali book release date, January 14, 2025, kicks it off.
Mount Denali is my contribution to The Seven Summits cross-curricula series for age 12 and up, published by The Creative Co. I explore Denali’s fascinating history, culture, geology, plant and animal life, and how it got its name. The book also covers climbing equipment and routes for future adventurers.
Pre-order on Amazon today or order from me after the release date if you’d like a signed copy. ($13.99). I’ll let you know when my copies arrive!
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Book 1, East Shady Grove Cemetery is an extended version of the seven episode serial I published on Substack. You’ll learn more about Sadie in this completed print edition, as I’ve had time to expand on the plot and how it connects to her gifts. I typically publish serials as a first (or second) draft, clean and easy to expand.
Although I’m a painter, designing book covers in Canva is fun. I appreciate constructive criticism.
Book 1, paperback and ebook release, October, 2025. Pre-order opening in August.
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The OPT-IN Anthology includes three short tech-horror stories I published on Substack, plus three new stories and a twist you might not see coming.
OPT-IN (Paperback and Ebook) is scheduled for release, November, 2025. Pre-order opening in September.
That’s it for now. I’m challenging myself to stay offline for the month of December to recharge and get some projects completed. We’ll see how that goes. I did already leave Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for good. The purge feels amazing!
Happy holidaze!
Look for the next Feed Your Head free subscriber newsletter update on the first Friday of the month, January 3, 2025.
Much Love,
S.L.
Thanks for including a mention to The Substack Zone. That project has been a blast and continues to reveal more writers, new to us, for future collaborations. 😉