A Writing Experiment

Hi, everyone!

Thanks for stopping by. I wanted to welcome you and explain why I’m here. Well, I am not entirely sure yet! Usually I’ve very plan-oriented.

I know that I really enjoy interacting with readers, but I don’t find other social platforms particularly satisfying. I’ve never maintained a mailing list, and I think it would be beneficial to have a central spot for talking to readers.

Up until now, everything I have to say that isn’t in my narrative work tends to drip out in interviews, at book events, or in various online formats, none of which feel entirely natural to me.

I am, in the end, a writer, so I figure why not connect with people here, in one place, in the form best suited to me? Paragraphs!

I like the idea of sharing things I wouldn’t publish anywhere else in an orderly fashion that makes sense to me.

For readers of my books, I hope I can answer questions and share behind-the-scenes stuff, like early notes, unpublished chapters (okay, we’ll see.) I’ll figure out the chat room feature, and do a live Q and A in there.

For fellow writers and artists, I will likely post reflections on writing, process, story, the business. Conversations with other writers on here could be fun. Recommendations for books, what I’m reading currently, and what has impacted me in the past.

It’s even possible this Substack becomes the first and only place I write about…my life, as in non-fiction. That could mean, you know, recipes, but that could also mean more personal dispatches. I’ll dip my toes in and see how it feels.

I’m interested in having a vehicle for writing that isn’t project-based, but more ongoing, a conversation with readers with a sense of continuity.

Thanks so much for joining me here.

Lauren

PS. Thanks to my friends and who told me I should join Substack.