June Dispatch

Sharon Stories: Volume 2, ed.6 - Sunday, 06.01.25

Good Morning!

Welcome to all new subscribers and to everyone who has been with me on this journey. Writing and making art have always been my lifeline. Your spending time here means everything!

Please comment with questions and suggestions, or introduce yourself and let me know what drew you to my little corner of Substack.

I’ve been assessing my work, revisiting goals, and wondering how to make a consistent living wage as a disabled freelance writer. The massive amounts of output and deadlines related to content writing aren’t within my capabilities. When I started as a content writer, things were so much different. We didn’t have to compete with AI and we were writers, not editors, graphic designers, analysts, etc.

Currently, my writing continues to do what it has always done for me: provide a lifeline and connection. And writing fiction stories including, The Truth About Sadie Wilkins and Agents of Chaos, helps me face my fears and examine memories in a healthy way, rather than keeping all that crap bottled up inside… or drinking it away.

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This week, I had the pleasure of getting an honest reaction from a new reader. She entered a story from the QR code on the back of my first zine. Navigating from the zine to the micro-fiction story, through to the short story, and on to the larger one wasn’t an issue. What I got from her feedback was this: I need to be more explicit about how these stories work. She said, “I was mad. I wanted more!” If that isn’t an inspiration to keep writing, I don’t know what is.

My micro-fiction and short stories often form part of a series. The idea is to develop characters with full lives while making the stories more of an interactive experience for readers. These Substack tales are first or second drafts that I publish as I write. Many of the stories morph and branch out.

When I finally publish the finished books, I’ll have all the nuances worked out and, dear readers, you’ll be able to read the stories from beginning to end.

Until then, you can expect to find many of the character’s paths crossing at some point, or in multiple stories as they all live in the same universe: past, present, or future. I’m also making new zines every month with QR codes that lead to different entry points.

Here’s a quick reference guide to help you navigate.

Ghost Stories Substack

Newsletters

A Haunting We Will Go - A Curated Collection of Tales About Haunted Places and Unruly Spirits. (Bi-monthly)

The Antique Trading Post - Haunted, Possessed, & Cursed Objects for sale. (Bi-monthly)

Characters

Alice - Stories about a witch who is too talented for her own good.

Sadie - At age 13, Sadie discovers she can see spirits and past, present, or current events. Authorities place her in a Catholic girls’ home after domestic violence leaves her and her brothers without parents.

Lily - Grew up in a Catholic girls’ home with her single mother (therapist, Dr. Lee). Lily dreamed of being a filmmaker for as long as she can remember.

Melody writes music. She loves antiques and bought a vintage telephone and desk from The Antique Trading Post.

Justin - A director of photography with a big ego. He buys a cursed Polaroid camera from The Antique Trading Post.

Eventually, each of the characters will have a profile page linking to the stories they appear in. I’m a one-woman ADHD show, so please bear with me as my characters reveal more of themselves.

Sharon Stories Substack

You’ll find links to all of my stories (and Substacks) in the Library. I update it frequently.

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May Round-Up

Now, let’s take a quick peek at May.

Somehow people started tagging me on the Tuesday Tunes line-up, even though I’m not a musician. Still, seeing what everyone is working on each week brought back memories of when I dreamed of writing lyrics for many of the musicians I knew. As an ode to days gone by, and my love of this platform, I wrote a parody to the tune of Love Shack, by the B52s. I have this fantasy of people sharing videos, dressed as the B52s, singing my version. Call me crazy. It wouldn’t be the first time.

Substack, Baby, Substack

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AoC (Agents of Chaos)

I sat this story down for a while, unsure where it was going. Sometimes ideas need time to marinate. Finishing Episode 5 got me all fired up again.

Episode 5: Symbols of Resistance

Gabby, Michael, and Mom (Jay Bird) make it to Pacifica by the Sea. It’s a ghost town. "Harmony Through Unity" posters plaster buildings, and strange, triangle symbols appear throughout the town. Inside Xandra’s ransacked bookstore, a variation of the symbol reveals secrets that will help her family find her and aide in locating G.

Painful memories resurface. As tensions flare, the family uncovers coded instructions for Xandra’s location. They prepare to follow these clues, gathering supplies, and Xandra’s maps, and hand written messages before continuing the next leg of the journey through Portside, another potentially dangerous area.

Episode 6 is currently getting some finishing touches. It should be ready to publish by mid-June.

Writer’s Process

Analysis is a huge part of my writing process. I started the practice during my creative writing masters program and kept doing it after graduation because analyzing my work and other writer’s stories provides so much insight into the many steps and iterations involved in developing complex characters, locations, and situations.

I love writing reviews and have dedicated a series to Substack authors. Michael Woudenberg’s, Paradox kicked it off in April. The Midnight Vault is next up on my list. I had planned to have that out sometime in May, but this has been a challenging month, mental health-wise, and sometimes all I can do is breathe. Moving forward, reviews will probably happen every two to three months.

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Connection

Connection is why I’m here, but posting on notes feels so performative. I’m looking for real connection with readers and other writers. Interviews, live streams, and direct messaging are a great way to get to know each other.

Aveline Lark

of Inkspire reached out to me, asking for an interview. I’m thrilled to say the least! She is one of the many writers on Substack working to lift our community. Subscribe or follow Aveline and check out my interview on June 14!

I want to leave you with this live stream recording from

Sean Thomas McDonnell

and

Scoot

for anyone who needs a little inspiration. Sean is a writer who has influenced and inspired me since the moment I found Substack. He’s one of the authors included in The Midnight Vault and another recent anthology, Blood In The Yolk.

Writing Inspiration

That’s it for now. Thank you for reading!

Eternally Grateful,

Sharon