Welcome to Written Ward!

My name is John Ward. I work as an illustrator painting images for self-published authors which they use for book covers. Here’s one I did:

Welcome to Written Ward, where storytelling meets analysis and creativity flows across mediums.

I'm John Ward, and I explore different territories here:

In Stack Cartographer, I map the evolving Substack ecosystem, analyzing trends and interviewing platform developers about the philosophies guiding their decisions.

Tales & Found Favorites houses both my original speculative fiction (drawing inspiration from classics like The Twilight Zone) and enthusiastic essays about books, comics, and shows I've discovered and want to share.

Spoken Ward: Conversations, Craft & Community is where I sit down with creators to explore their work and process, discussing everything from newsletter strategies to creative decisions.

In Drawing Room, I share my illustrations, comics, and sketches, offering glimpses into both finished pieces and works in progress.

About Me

I spent my early career in Silicon Valley during the wild days of the dot-com boom, working at tech companies in various roles. When the bubble burst, my wife and I took it as our cue to head back east, where we could actually afford a house and start thinking about a family.

That's when I made the leap into illustration, creating artwork for indie authors and game companies. What hooked me wasn't just making pretty pictures – it was capturing those perfect moments that hint at bigger stories. You know those scenes that make you wonder what happened right before, or what's about to happen next? That's what I live for.

My love of visual storytelling naturally led me to begin writing my own stories. I'm a huge Twilight Zone fan – there's something magical about taking an ordinary moment and revealing the extraordinary just beneath the surface. These days, I get to tell these stories both through words and pictures.

Funny enough, my tech background has come full circle. I've found myself diving deep into Substack, exploring how this platform is creating new ways for people to share their stories. There's something fascinating about how its design shapes the way we connect through storytelling.

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To find out more about the company that provides the tech for this newsletter, visit Substack.com.