Welcome back to Written Ward! This week I wanted to try something new… or rather, bring back something I’ve missed. Long-time subscribers will remember my podcast Spoken Ward. If you’re not familiar with it, it was an interview type show
Life got busy and the show fell by the wayside for a bit, but I’ve always wanted to return to it. My main reason for wanting to return to this form is that I genuinely enjoy talking to people. I’m curious about what they do and how they think. Watch any of those old episodes and I think that curiosity will come through.
Those earlier episodes were guided entirely by my curiosity. Who interests me? Why are they or what they’re doing intriguing? I’ll still follow those questions from time to time, but I want this new version of the show to place a greater emphasis on the fiction community. I want to bring writers onto the show to talk about their stories, the choices they’ve made, and the things their work has done particularly well.
Fiction doesn’t grow as quickly on Substack as other types of writing. There are probably several reasons for that, but I think one of them—maybe the main one—is trust. Here’s what I mean by that, if you come across an article that says it’ll teach you three things about some subject, you can quickly it and decide whether it has something to say. The commitment is small.
Stories aren’t like that. They ask for something more. If you open a story and see that it has a forty-minute reading time, you have no guarantee that those forty minutes will be well spent. Reading a new writer is an act of faith. Earning that trust is one of the challenges that writers face with each new piece. I’m hoping that Spoken Ward can help bridge that gap. I would love to introduce readers to stories and writers that they wouldn’t otherwise encounter.
Everyone’s tastes are different. I can’t guarantee that you’ll love every story I enjoy. What I can do is tell you the thing that caught my attention, explore what the story has done well, and, then, let you decide for yourself whether it’s worthy of your time.
More than anything, I’m hoping that this show will help you find something new to read, and maybe, your next favorite author.
This week, I’m talking to Scoot about what I believe is one of his best stories. It’s a fun discussion and I think you’ll enjoy it. If you haven’t read his story, you can click on the link below, read it, and then pop back over here to hear our discussion.
Here’s the story that Scoot recommended by EJ Trask. I hope you enjoy it!
Next in Written Ward
Written Ward follows a four-week rhythm during each season. We are in Week Two.
- Week One — Original Fiction: A new installment of What Remains
- Week Two — Spoken Ward: A short story worth discussing, what caught my attention, a few questions for its author, and another story recommended by that author
- Week Three — Original Fiction: The next installment of What Remains
- Week Four — Found Treasures: A personal collection of things I’m glad to have found and people whose work I think deserves attention
That rhythm will continue throughout the season. I’ll announce the season finale and the following intermission in advance.
Thank you for reading! I truly am grateful that you’ve taken an interest in what I’m doing here.
If this installment made you think of someone who might enjoy a strange little shop and the things locked away in its cellar, please consider sharing it with them. Personal recommendations are how Written Ward finds new readers.
Until next week. Mind the rules!
Thanks for reading Written Ward! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.
