on writing

I had this obscure fear of putting myself out there, and I began to feel that it was holding me back—from getting people to read my work, of course, but potentially also from even writing in the first place. I had somehow internalized this idea that to seek attention, to seek an audience was craven and base; if I did so, I was debasing the pure and... See more

The Yale Review: Where does an essay begin for you—how does it crystallize from thought to form?

Audrey Wollen: A hunch, usually based on a glimmering coincidence inside a text, or a joke buried deep within myself, a joke I would struggle to explain to anyone else, which means it’s not really a joke at all, more like a secret internal wink, almost a... See more

But back to me.

I feel a bit self-conscious that I’ve cycled through so many jobs, but it’s the nature of being an artist and working. It’s difficult to find a job you can put everything into and still have time and energy for writing.

But what I’ve realized—and it’s always embarrassing because a lot of people talk about things coming naturally, hearing a voice or this or that—I work very much in systems. I’m like, okay, this voice speaks in this tense and uses these words. I make banks of vocabulary. When the natural creativity dies in me, I am really surprised how I can... See more

Post when you actually have something to say; otherwise, send a golden nugget or lessen your frequency. (We’ll be talking more about posting frequency in August.)

So, part of your job as a Substacker is is “producing words” and part of your job is “cultivating a persona for which people might have some kind of inexplicable affection or even respect.” And then there’s a whole other part of your job, which is: “Internet marketing.” One thing that I like about Substack, and one reason I recommend it as a... See more

You gotta write every week, preferably more than once.