On being focused as a fiction writer

I’ve been writing Story Voyager, my fiction Substack, for the past 20 months.

I published 35 posts in total, and 9 are fiction.

On one hand, writing here has helped me finish and publish work. I’d been working on some stories for years with nothing to show. But the fiction community here has inspired me and given me the power to write.

This is a huge win 🏆!

On the other hand, only 9 out of 35 posts are fiction. This is the result of:

• reading too much Substack growth advice

• trying to emulate the strategy of writers who don’t necessarily write fiction

• dwelling too much on the idea that fiction doesn’t work on Substack

• feeling the pressure to post more often and/or on a schedule

While I’m satisfied with most of my non-fiction work on Story Voyager, it has got to go. I’ve spent between 20 and 100h per non-fiction post. And I have a full time job, and I try to have a life.

My time is limited.

With some help, I decided to focus exclusively on fiction going forward.

I’m not sure if Substack is made for fiction but I know what I’m meant to write. And for the first time in months I feel focused and relieved.

Let’s see what the next 20 months will bring! 😁🍵🥰