Dispatch No. 10

The unknown, the dry heaves, the collaboration

Recently released: Produce, Me? (Episode One)

Missed something? Sketchbook | Stories | Dispatches | Series

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X : The unknown

<keanu reeves/>Whoa! Dispatch Ten!

I’m now 3 months into posting fiction on Substack. I truly wasn’t sure what to expect. Posting fiction here felt like a complete unknown. Would it work? Would I get beat down?

After publishing twenty stories in ~90 days the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. I have no data to support this but maybe the readership on Substack is more forgiving of new writers? Also, smarter, more charming and better looking? Maybe we’ve found a wellspring of positivity (and gratitude) that doesn’t exist on other platforms?

I haven’t seen much cynicism either. Snark, yes, but not negativity. I assume it’s out there, lurking just below the surface. To be clear, I’m here for the occasional knock, too, because the sweet ain’t so sweet without the sour.

Fellow writers, what are you seeing?

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Limited Series

Produce, Me? | Episode One is out.

It’s an experiment in a style of storytelling I haven’t done — sort of gritstream, surrealabsurd – if you’ll forgive the wordsmash¹.

My favorite comments so far:

Sharron Bassano

: “Easily the most manic, turbulent thing I have ever read.”

Stephanie Sweeney

: “Gritty, fast-paced, disorienting…”

Episode 2 drops on Saturday.

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Non-Sequitur(s)

Teaching my oldest in the ways of good music has been fun. While we may have started with Raffi — shoot me if I have to sing Baby Beluga one more time – we’re graduating at a rather rapid pace. Two brief examples:

1. Ah, ha, ha, ha - At random intervals, we turn our 3yo’s bath into a mini rave complete with disco ball, glow sticks and music. The other night I ask him what music he wants to hear, hoping it’s not from the Cars soundtrack. His response: Stayin’ Alive.

2. The Waiting - Kids are impatient. Hell, I’m impatient so maybe my son learned it from me? But it’s also important to call it out, name it, and in doing so, maybe take the piss out of it. The other day my son was antsy to go somewhere so I asked: “What does Tom Petty say?” His response, a high-pitched grumble: “Waiting is the hardest part.” Amen.

Off-Air : At my house we create our own “cut for time” SNL skits. I’ve been trying to one-up this one: A Starbucks run by Gregorian monks where every order ready for pickup is treated to a low-monophonic chant: “Dou-ble whip peppermint fraaa-pucci-NOOO for Ste-pha-neeee”

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In Conversation

The clip starts: static. Then warbles like a VHS cassette dubbed to digital.

Interviewer: —one more time? I want to make sure the camera picks it up.

Me: Stats don’t matter. Keep writing.

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¡Atención!

A fellow Substacker and I are collaborating on a story. We’ve traded messages and finally talked on the phone (yes, people still do that). Their writing is inspiring with a very unique and personal voice…and just the right amount of piss & vinegar. Together, we’re Rusty Ryan and Danny Ocean. Butch & Sundance? Mario & Luigi?

I don’t want to give anything away but I’m excited. Look for that soon.

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Music

Wolf - First Aid Kit

Virus - Ani DiFranco

Destroyer - The Kinks

Too Soon To Tell - Todd Snider

Boom, Like That - Mark Knopfler

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Words

Traditional Publishing vs Self-Publishing

The Jukebox of Hypocrisy

Just Another Roadside Attraction: Was Chichen Itza the First Cancun?

Antitrust Enforcers to Break Up Ticketmaster and End the "Ticketmaster Tax"

1. Wordsmash - “an intentional form of writing that seeks to challenge the assumptions between writer and reader that support traditional channels of communication...”