My new Substack newsletter is up and running. It differs from this blog in that it is more about YOU than about me or my work. Its purpose is to explore the world of personal anecdotes and inspire you to share a few tales of your own. This blog will continue to be the place where I share my own musings and articles.
We all have stories to tell
Some of us write them, others relate them orally. Some folks do both. Our stories help define who we are, connect us with our ancestors (and perhaps with our descendants), and the world at large. Too often, people pass away without sharing with others their unique experiences. Losing those tales forever is tragic.
Stories can entertain, enlighten, educate, and inspire. They can soothe, terrify, support, tear down, unite, or divide us. We are transitory, but our stories can, and must, endure.
Why now?
Why not? We are living in interesting times, as the adage suggests. Some of us find these days challenging, others find them depressing, hopeless, or even exhilarating. No matter how we are reacting to current events, it’s important not to lose sight of our own stories—the fabric of our culture. We are part of tomorrow’s history—unfolding throughout our yesterdays and with every new today.
Buckle up and get ready!
Starting next week, the newsletter will feature a personal anecdote—something that happened to you, me, or someone else; long ago or recently—and I'll share it with the Substack world. Initially, this is just for fun, but if enough people are interested in participating, I’ll consider compiling our anecdotes into an anthology. It won’t involve payment (to me or to you) or copyrighted material. It will consist only of tales people want to share just for the sake of sharing. Your stories are part of you—happy, sad, contemplative, whimsical . . . I’m looking forward to hearing from you!
The rules are few, but important:
- Anecdotes must be true (creative nonfiction is encouraged)
- Be nice and keep it clean (no profanity or trash-talk)
- No preaching or politicking (but the tales can be set in places where those things occur)
- Keep it short (under 500 words)
- Email your tale to sandygbensonauthor@gmail.comto be shared in an upcoming Substack. Put “My Story” into the subject line. Type or paste your anecdote into the body of the email—no attachments. You can choose if you want to be identified by name or remain anonymous (I’ll use your name unless you tell me otherwise when you send your story). I retain the right to accept or reject submissions, but I suspect there will be room for most of them. You can subscribe to the newsletter here. It’s free.
I’ll start next week with one of my own tales. For now, though, I’m playing with the best way to structure things. Let me know in the comments section if you have suggestions about:
- What day of the week would you be most likely to read and/or interact with a new story?
- Do you like themes (seasonal, topical, etc.) or just any topic, any time?
- Would you be interested in seeing any general storytelling tips?
- What else? Anything related to getting our stories out into the world is fair game.
I look forward to hearing from you!
Image of S. G. Benson in adventure mode
#shareyourstory #adventures #tellyourstory
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