Hey baby, ¿qué pasó?
Returning to blogging feels like asking an old lover to take me back. Here's what you can expect from this relationship.
I sat down to write this opening piece and couldn’t stop singing the song, “Hey baby, ¿qué pasó?”
It feels appropriate for this introduction post, a song from my childhood showcasing the Spanglish I grew up around, all about asking a lover to come back and give you another chance.
Blogging was my first long-term relationship with writing.
We dated for a decade, and she helped me build the foundation of my career.
My old site QueerieBradshaw.com was one of the first lesbian sex blogs on the internet, and I had blogs and columns in Curve, VICE, Huffington Post, Nerve, and more. I attended BlogHer every year and got my first agent because of my blog.
But then I got distracted by shiny photos and viral dance videos.
We all did.
The algorithms swept us away until we were convinced that words no longer mattered and writers no longer have a place on this internet we helped build.
They do. And we do.
I joined Substack to build community again through words.
As the founder of School for Writers®, I started feeling disingenuous talking about the importance of telling our stories and then spending hours of my time watching and creating 7-second videos with the same song and text overlay.
Or before that, thousands of dollars to get my feed to look “polished, poised, and professional”.
Don’t get me wrong, I still love a good photoshoot. I mean, look at this!
As much as I love a beautiful image and fancy myself an amateur model, I’m a writer first and foremost. It’s how I view, process, and connect with the world around me.
I’ve been writing books and journaling privately, and publicly writing through my LaurenMarieFleming.com and SchoolforWriters.com newsletters, but it just isn’t the same.
I missed the discoverability and interactions I had back in my blogging days, so I joined Substack to see if I can find that connection here.
The 500-Pound Paywall in the Room
Hell yes writers should make money. Content is Queen and content makers deserve to be well fed, well rested, and well resourced – and while we live under capitalism that requires that we charge for our words.
One major reason I started this Substack was to have a place to talk openly and honestly about creative entrepreneurship, including how to make money as a writer.
No writer is another’s competition, and my goal is to share the insights I’ve learned over 20+ years of being a professional writer so it can hopefully help you make money and thrive as well.
I’m happy to share educational material for free with anyone who stumbles across these posts. Writers and entrepreneurs sharing their advice, tips, and tools with me has helped me thrive as a creative, and I want to return that favor.
Because I don’t like gatekeeping information, my educational posts will be free.
But I’m also craving a bit more intimacy these days. I want to get vulnerable. I want to be radically honest about the processes of running a creative business and publishing books. And I can’t do that if I think the whole world is watching.
To create a more intimate community feel for both you and me, my more personal posts will be behind a paywall.
The buffer of the Paywall will help me feel a bit safer from random trolls coming by and leaving hateful comments. That saves you and me from having to read them. We’re in this together.
Here’s what you can expect as a subscriber (free or paid):
An honest account of what it takes to run a creative business while keeping your wits and values about you. I’ll share the ups and downs of my company School for Writers® (including how I got that little trademark thingy), and share the tips, tools, and insights I’ve learned so you can make money too.
A ride along as my debut novel, Because Fat Girl, heads out into the world. My team and I have some fun things planned to promote it, and I can’t wait to share what works and what doesn’t with you.
Inspiration around how to keep going when times get hard, including some insights into how I used the grief from my brother’s death to fuel the total overhaul of my life into one full of love, joy, and gratitude.
Unapologetically queer, non-binary, kinky, poly, fat, neurodiverse, and femme content that will probably reference fries with cheese, tea, and fashion a bit too much, but YOLO.
Shenanigans and hilarity. My brother dying at a young age taught me to not take anything in life too seriously, and that definitely includes this Substack. Let’s have some fun together here.
Sounds great, right?
Even as a free subscriber, there’s loads of education, inspiration, and entertainment coming your way.
Here’s what you’ll get if you become a paid subscriber and join the Inner Cirlce:
Access to the Inner Circle a.k.a. the right to see, comment on, and engage with my more private, vulnerable, and intimate posts.
Special Inner Circle perks, like 100% off my Journal Through It course.
Exclusive behind-the-scenes look at running my business and publishing my debut fiction novel.
Inner Circle only Ask Me Anything posts.
First chance at coaching spots, course discounts, and other kinds of professional support for authors and entrepreneurs.
Opportunities to win swag!
All of that and more is waiting for you in the Inner Circle. So come join the School for Writers® paid supporter community today.
Whether you’re a paid subscriber, free subscriber, or just someone passing through, I’m excited to share this space with you.
Let’s see what we can build here together.
Talk soon,
Lauren
P.S. Members of my Write Your Friggin’ Book Already® program get free access to all my content and courses. If you’re in WYFBA, email us and we’ll help make sure you get access to this blog as well. If you’re not in WYFBA, come join us today.
HELLO I DID NOT KNOW YOU WERE HERE OH MY GOD!!!