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Lloyd Miner's avatar

How much did of it did you finish? I think it's an issue with the medium (Substack) not what you made. I do have some questions about the story, though.

Have you considered filming yourself reading it or even reading it over visuals, like a radio drama? And putting it on a platform that's better geared toward visual/audio?

You could also film part of it as a short and start a crowdfunder to get more. Pete, the screenwriting teacher at the writing grove, did that.

Anyway, let's discuss this more ex-comments section!

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Nolan Yuma's avatar

I'll email you!

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Bruce's avatar

Your writing embodies blood, sweat, and tears--yours. It's real. It's soulful. It's spirited. Unfortunately, writing (like everything else in a capitalistic economy) is an enterprise competing with others for that same shelf space, that same moment of glory, that fleeting eye of the beholder. PLEASE DON'T GIVE UP, NOLAN! I've known and tutored many aspiring writers who ultimately learned that writers they weren't. Those who didn't relinquish the calling completely would hide in the shadows of blogs, posts, and social media experiments. At least for a time and a season. But you are gifted with something none of them had: the sensitivity of a real writer surging through your veins. You understand, feel, cadence and beat. You know when to write complete sentences and when fragments will tell an even better story. You are a storyteller. And you must never, ever, abandon your craft:

To dream the impossible dream

To fight the unbeatable foe

To bear with unbearable sorrow

To run where the brave dare not go

To right the unrightable wrong

To be better far than you are

To try when your arms are too weary

To reach the unreachable star

This is my quest, to follow that star

No matter how hopeless, no matter how far

To be willing to give when there's no more to give

To be willing to die so that honor and justice may live

And I know if I only be true to this glorious quest

That my heart will lie peaceful and calm when I'm laid to my rest

And the world will be better for this

That one man, scorned and covered with scars,

Still strove with his last ounce of courage

To reach the unreachable star

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Nolan Yuma's avatar

Bruce, your words are a gift. Truly. I'm not one to spend much time in the comment section, but I've copied and pasted what you said here in case anything ever happens to Substack. I want to return to this. Thank you so much.

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Chris Gartland's avatar

The game is excruciating.

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Nolan Yuma's avatar

Especially when you're the type who's not keen on following the rules.

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Chris Gartland's avatar

Rules? We don't need no stinking rules...

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Michael Jensen's avatar

I'm sorry, Nolan. I know that when I walked away from trying to publish anymore novels, it was a huge relief.

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Nolan Yuma's avatar

I think relief is a good gut feeling to listen to. If someone doesn't feel relief, maybe it's a sign to keep going. But relief might be a sign to switch gears.

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Brent Hartinger's avatar

It is a difficult nut to crack, I'll grant that. There is a clash between different (old and new) media, I think.

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Nolan Yuma's avatar

Yeah, I'm going on the traditional route. I'll send it to agents. I'm open to collaborating in the future as well. 12 people voted, nobody subscribed, and I didn't have the energy after that to keep it going alone. I can write alone, but once it comes to the film aspect, I need to stick to the collaborative art form it is to keep motivated.

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Brent Hartinger's avatar

I hear you. But keep me posted, online or off.

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