Your First Substack Piece

And the moment you went blind for a minute

So happy for you, MJ, and the blessings you’ve received.
Here’s my submission for this week’s “What a Wonderful World” prompt for MJ Polk’s Stories from the Jukebox.
Happy Thanksgiving!

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You found your way to Substack. Maybe a friend who knows that you write told you to check it out. Or your highly cardiganned editor friend from 2004. Or the blogger priest you used to work with. Or whatever. You know. Details may vary. But you found your way.

You post your first note. Something clever like:
First note. I have no idea what I’m doing.
Or, you know. Something like that.

Then you copy the piece you’ve labored over on Google Docs and you paste it. You struggle over a title. Maybe for hours. Maybe days. Your cursor hovers over the Send To Everyone button and your stomach flips. Everyone?

You figure you don’t really want to write. You’ve been fine up to now with all that shrapnel just rolling around in your brain. What were you even thinking? You’re a hack. A fake. An imposter.

But then one day you click that button. And you go blind for a minute. Again, details may vary. Ok. Breathe. No one’s gonna read it. Who would? No one knows you’re here. You kept it secret from your friends and family. You posted under a pseudonym. You’re swimming in a sea of real writers here. And you don’t know any of them.

So you post another piece. And then something else. You’re kind of getting the hang of it now.

Then you’re out in the real world on Thanksgiving break, grabbing coffee with a friend. You set down your cup and blurt out, “I’ve been writing.”

And as you’re trying to shove the words back in your mouth like those snakes from the fake peanut cans, they smile at you.

“That’s great! You always were so good at writing.”

You scan your memory banks for what they could possibly be talking about. You vaguely remember a former life. Back before. Well you know. All of that. And you did write. And you shared it with folks. And were you scared? Maybe.

“What are you working on? Can I see?”

So you send them a link. Airdrop. Wait. Did it go through? No. Try again. Still no? Ok. Just text. And they click on the link. Finally. Technology—what a wonderful world.

“Wait. Why is it asking me to pay $80?”

“Oh, shit. No. I forgot it does that. I have no idea how to turn it off. Just skip it.”

“So you want me to skip paying?”

“Oh lort. Yes. Please. Do not pay me.”

So they read it later. And they text you.
“It’s really good! I love the part about the subflooring.”

They liked it.

And the next one.

So you keep on. And you start hearing something familiar. You realize it’s your voice. The one you didn’t remember you had. The one that was hiding behind the quiet polite forgotten you. And you notice your friend doesn’t comment on the next one. Or the next. And you figure they’re just not reading. But you kind of don’t care. And you think to yourself what a wonderful world this writing thing is.

You’ve found some other Substackers who read your stuff and sometimes get it. And this voice? It’s the only you they’ve ever known. And all of a sudden, you feel like a writer. Not just someone who’s been writing.

You have a voice.
And a style, kind of.
And… like… a self.
So you keep writing in and of and about
What a Wonderful World this is.

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HERE’S THE MIXTAPE

Details May Vary

Creep—Radiohead
Under Pressure—Train
Stubborn Love—The Lumineers
Luckiest Man—The Wood Brothers
Semi-Charmed Life—Third Eye Blind
We’re Onto Something—Kings of Leon & Zach Bryan
What A Wonderful World—Louis Armstrong

You should check out Stories from the Jukebox and all of the prompts so far. You can start here:

What a Wonderful World

Are you ready for Thanksgiving? Here’s a little primer, if you need it. I hope you like it: