Welcome to Novel Thoughts and Wild Ideas

My first Substack post!

Welcome to my Substack

I’m so glad you’re here, and I can’t wait to go on this journey with you. I’ve been reading and loving other substacks for a while now, and I promised myself that I’d join in when I finished the first draft of my novel. So here I am! I’m hoping to build an engaged and thoughtful community of thinkers who want to consider and discuss the highs and lows of living and working creatively and consistently in this challenging, crazy-paced world.

I’ll be publishing a regular monthly piece called Author’s Notes, talking about all the topical things in the writing and publishing world that have caught my eye over the past month. And then, working around my deadlines (so more ad hoc to begin with), I’ll be taking a deeper dive into the world of fiction and publishing, and chatting to you about all the ups and downs of my life as an author and my creative practice. I’ll tell you why I’m often drawn to the road less travelled - such as hybrid publishing, studying dystopian fiction, or homeschooling my kids - and what these things teach me that I incorporate into my work. I’ll talk about the author’s mindset and how I keep myself motivated during the challenges of writing, offering thoughts and advice for emerging and established authors. I’ll look in-depth at some of the books I’m drawn to, and why I think they work. I’ll chat about the big moments in my career, such as why I once took a big risk, cancelled my contract and returned my advance to my publisher – and how, back in 2016, I earned 50K from my writing in one month. I’ll analyse how I write, and what I learned from seven years studying fiction for my PhD. And I’ll also have another feature called ‘Climate Matters’, outlining how I’m engaging creatively, hopefully and purposefully with issues around climate change and what I’m learning along the way.

For the time being, there is no charge for subscribing, and many of my Substack posts will always remain free and accessible. In future, I will look to provide deeper dives into topics and discounted access to books, courses, etc. for paid subscribers. In this changing and challenging global environment for writers, I’m grateful that Substack gives us the opportunity to engage directly with one another, while also encouraging the wider community to value our words and to recognise how much they contribute to essential cultural conversations.

As we go along, please feel free to email me or chat to me here as I’m reading all comments, and I’m happy to craft articles around things you’d like to know.

I hope you enjoy each and every visit to this caring and creative corner of my world. 

Sara

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