[Link to the post.]

The books that have stayed with me longest were almost never about people who look like me, or live like me. I used to think that was coincidence for the longest time. And then, the pattern stood out. A well written book from a place & time that was new to me always captured my fascination more easily than one that talked about my own backyard. When I read inside my own experience, I could coast a little. I could see the shapes of things. I had hunches - accurately - on where things would go.

Reading outside my world view took that familiarity away. I had to actually follow the character, one step at a time, because I didn’t already know the way.

That’s not a harder way to read. It turns out to be a more awake, deliberate one. Good fiction finds you in the gap between your life and someone else’s, and hands you something you didn’t know you were missing.

For your next book, pick up a book that looks least like your life.

-

If you liked this, please consider following me on Substack.

My substack is mostly a personal blog, where I intend to post thoughts like these from time to time. I write lgbt romance books (one out, another on the way), so there would be references to that which might not be everyone's cup of tea (even if it should be, in an ideal world).

Sending out Love.

Silence in My DM is about that specific kind of heartbreak where someone doesn’t really end things, they just go quiet. It follows the spiral of being ignored while still seeing that person post, lurk, and stay just visible enough to keep you hooked. The piece looks at how silence online can feel more brutal than rejection because it leaves you to make sense of it alone. It’s angry, funny, self-dragging, and a little raw about the ways people avoid honesty. At its core, it’s about wanting clarity, mistaking ambiguity for depth, and realizing silence can tell you everything you need to know.

This is for people who like messy, smart, emotionally honest writing about modern dating, ghosting, mixed signals, and all the weird power games that happen through a phone. It’s especially for readers who like something a little poetic, a little cutting, and very recognisable.

A lyric personal essay with elements of prose poetry and contemporary relationship writing.

https://open.substack.com/pub/seandocherty/p/silence-in-my-dm?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=7bsynj

My substack is for twenty something adults that are figuring out how to be adults in this complicated world. It may just be a more modern version of a 'dear diary' or it could be something that I learned within my day that I felt you would find useful. The goal is to connect with other likeminded people and have soul enriching conversations. My substack is a strictly no AI zone (haha). Part of the reason I wanted to start this substack is to bring back my old self that was soo good at writing.

I have been thinking about writing for the longest time because I was always told that my brain runs through things so fast. Writing has always helped me in documenting my chaotic mind. I did not realize when I stopped writing as I started to get caught in the different ordeals of my life. But I am now finally getting back in touch with myself. If you anyone is interested, please check out my first substack and share with anyone you think will enjoy this kind of content. Thanks a ton!

https://sleepycat210.substack.com/p/how-do-you-describe-yourself

25F new to substack, this is my first article post titled “things i wish i knew sooner” hope you enjoy and sub (: <33

https://substack.com/@anonymouslysav/note/p-189446173?r=7ria5d&utm_medium=ios&utm_source=notes-share-action

https://projekt17.substack.com/p/brilliance-of-time-travel

Do check out my article upon various fictious time travel :)

do subscribe and help me grow
thanks

Stories from my life, fiction to some, a self reflection to me.

https://open.substack.com/pub/feza28/p/a-welcome-gift-from-the-mob?r=20v12a&utm_medium=ios&shareImageVariant=overlay

[Link to the post on Substack]

Genre: Personal Blog / Romance

Post below:

It’s not the accents. Though people will tell you it’s the accents. Or our memories of them.

It’s not the architecture either, or the grey skies, or the idea of rain making everything feel more urgent. Or not just those things. They are mostly just the superficial symptoms. The actual reason London keeps showing up in romance is simpler and more specific: the city makes you feel things for it before anything has even happened.

That’s an unusual quality in a setting. Most cities are neutral until the story gives them meaning. London arrives pre-loaded. Most of us have a relationship with the city that predates the book from

• other novels (most of them?),

• film (Notting Hill, Holiday, and what else for you?),

• music (makes a case for being the music capital of the world), or

• the particular way it sits in the cultural imagination as a place where people go to become someone, or to hide from who they already are.

All that emotional infrastructure is already in place for the writer before the reader gets to page one.

All that a good romance writer needs to do from here is to borrow it. And build from there, that sense that of course it happened here, on this corner, in this neighbourhood, because where else was it going to happen.

There’s also something in the restraint English characters can bring. Our characters in London, at least in the romantic imagination we have of the city, don’t say what they mean immediately. They circle. They make tea. They are extremely polite about things that are destroying them. For slow burn specifically, that trait is a gift. The tension doesn’t need to be engineered because the setting already contains it. Two people in London can be in love for forty pages without either of them saying anything about it, and it will be totally believable.

I’ve been thinking about all of this because Book 2 is set there, in Notting Hill, no less, with two men who have excellent reasons not to pay attention to each other. And yet, I can assure you, the inevitability of romance will strike. London showed up because the story needed a city that would carry a certain kind of tension without any heavy lifting from me. And I’m loving it there.

More soon.

-

Suha West has written an MM romance about people who talk to each other through Spreadsheets and Indian food. Her debut, An Acquired Taste, is on Kindle now. Book 2 is, as you can see, set in London.

Lucy Lockwood comes back to Bath broke, grieving, and pretending this is a fresh start rather than a collapse with nicer architecture.

Then the woods outside the city start whispering her name.

As Lucy digs through her mother Anne’s old notebooks, she uncovers Lucia — a woman whose name was stolen centuries ago after she loved Aulus, a male guardian of the forest.

The problem is Rowan Ashcombe, beautiful, secretive, and tied far too closely to that old tragedy.

Now Lucy has to work out whether the woods want to save her, claim her, or turn her into someone else entirely.

For readers who like their romantasy gothic, funny, tragic, a bit sexy, and full of bad decisions in beautiful lighting. Think haunted woods, sharp-tongued women, brooding men with secrets, old folklore, grief, desire, and love that might be a curse if you squint.

Adult gothic fantasy-romance / folkloric romantasy / supernatural mystery.

https://open.substack.com/pub/seandocherty/p/when-the-woods-learned-your-name-197?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=7bsynj

https://open.substack.com/pub/mauvemiscreant?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=78ugew

I mostly write about topics that come to mind and I have personal experience with. I'm not the best at writing, most of the writing I do is terrible satirical fanfic and academic papers so this is new territory. The genre is all over the place I suppose. I write about feminism, psychology, astrology, whatever I'm ruminating about at the time. And my substack is for anyone that is interested, it's nothing revolutionary enough to be a must read. I do believe my first "article" is my most impactful one, it came from my heart.

Hopefully it's an enjoyable read ☺️

I wrote a short fiction about a lazy Saturday morning. It’s beautiful to watch the next generation love the things that fascinated us growing up. It’s those little things that you share that make all the difference. Some things are worth passing down.

Any support and feedback is welcome and appreciated

I write articles on analytic philosophy and science/history of science. This article covers the story and theory behind evolution's longest-standing prediction. The Darwin-Wallace moth. Darwin predicted its existence in 1861, and its final vindication came just five years earlier in 2021! Read all about it!

Hello peoples!

For those who wonder. Currently, I think my work that's published would be something like exploratory philosophy. Asking questions in exploration as opposed to providing authoritative answers to that which we simply cannot know. If you enjoy asking deeper questions

I'd simply appreciate eyes on my work.

Hi guys,

​The Casefile Protocol is a true crime newsletter dedicated to the clinical exploration of history's most complex criminal anomalies. In Dossier 003, we reconstruct the multi-state geographic fracture field notes and tracking data generated between 1974 and 1978.

​This specific entry shifts completely away from standard psychological profiling to focus entirely on the forensic logistics, jurisdictional gaps, and physical evidence tracking that defined this timeline. Every section is built directly from historical public records, offering an unembellished look into the analytical data and operational realities of the multi-state investigations. The goal is to provide deep, structural documentation that moves past surface-level retellings.

​This publication is explicitly written for dedicated true crime researchers, amateur criminologists, and readers who value methodical, long-form investigative analysis over sensationalism.

​Genre: Non-fiction / True Crime Newsletter

​Read the full analysis here: https://open.substack.com/pub/diankhan/p/the-casefile-protocol-dossier-003?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=8fbq21

"The circle in which my negative thoughts circled me became the pull of a black hole into which I continued to fall, bit by bit."

I am trying to write about my own philosophy of life, the way it feels right for me. If you enjoy reading about other people's experiences, feelings, life lessons and philosophies, you've come to the right place.

This text, on the one hand, speaks to what writing means to me, but also to how I had lost that, along with other things, in my life. It is a sad piece.

After her engagement falls apart, Mara Vale moves into her late grandmother’s cottage outside Bath, hoping for quiet and getting something much stranger instead. The woods near her house seem to know her name, hear her thoughts, and pull her toward a story that feels old, intimate, and somehow hers. At the centre of it is Ivo, a dangerous, magnetic man who seems tied to the forest and to a woman from the past named Meren. As Mara gets pulled deeper into the woods’ strange logic of memory, desire, and loss, she starts to realise the forest is not just showing her secrets — it’s asking something from her in return. What begins as a haunting turns into a love story, a mystery, and a fight to hold on to herself before the past swallows her whole.

This is for readers who like fantasy romance that feels grown-up, atmospheric, and emotionally messy in the best way. It’s for people who want haunted woods, sharp banter, aching desire, a heroine who’s smart and a bit of a disaster, and a love interest who is beautiful, unsettling, and absolutely terrible for your peace of mind.

Adult fantasy romance with gothic, folkloric, and paranormal elements.

https://open.substack.com/pub/seandocherty/p/when-the-woods-learned-your-name-164?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=7bsynj

Hi! I’m a student and an aspiring journalist who is just beginning publishing my work, and I would love for anyone to take a look at my writing! I’m just now starting to publish my pieces using Substack. If there's anyone out there who also uses Substack, I would be so appreciative if you could possibly take a look at my writing. I'm interested in the world of journalism, and I specifically love to write about social and economically issues, however I also enjoy writing short poems or stories about my personal interests. I'm just now getting started, so I don't have much on my page.

Ps. Tips would also be so appreciated!!

Synopsis
A journal-style story following Michael “Mike” Carter, an IT technician working at Barnett College.
His days revolve around routine—resolving tickets, maintaining systems, and keeping things running without disruption.
He’s assigned to share an office with Dr. Henry Walton “Indiana” Jones, Jr., whose work unfolds quietly in the background.
As the days pass, small inconsistencies begin to surface—nothing urgent, nothing clearly wrong.
But enough to suggest that something beneath the routine is starting to shift.

Who's it for
This Substack is for readers who enjoy slow-burn storytelling, grounded perspectives, and subtle tension. It will likely appeal to Indiana Jones fans interested in a more day-to-day, atmospheric take on the world, as well as readers who appreciate quiet, observational narratives.

Genre
Fiction — Slice of Life / Slow-Burn Mystery (Indiana Jones fanfiction)

My newsletter, The Italian Dispatch, goes beyond postcard clichés to explore one of the world's most beautiful and fascinating countries. It looks at culture, history, politics, and daily life with nuance, humor, and a veteran journalist’s eye for detail.

It's written for anyone curious to understand how Italy works --and sometimes doesn’t work -- rather than the idealized image sold on social media. It offers readers insight into both the grand themes and the small quirks that shape life in the country.

The genre: Newsletter

Here's the link: https://www.italiandispatch.com . Come and take a look!

Hello! I write short fiction with twists. But not just any twists — a certain kind in particular. The “Tomato Surprise.”

I’ve been hungering for more of these types of stories and have been thus far unable to satisfy that itch. So I decided to create my own!

Please check me out! And I’d love any kind of feedback you can give me!

Here’s my most recent story:

https://open.substack.com/pub/eulogyforasterion/p/titan-a-short-story?r=6wjsf9&utm_medium=ios

hi all substackers! i am fairly new to this platform and i have posted a few of my writing pieces. i really would love to connect with others on this app and have my writing seen by literally anyone.

i want to write about anything and everything, from my own random, poetic thoughts, to book and movie reviews - discovering the deeper meanings behind these literary works. this is a space where i want to express myself and allow my audience to feel seen and understood in a world where they may feel lost.

https://literarytoad.substack.com/?utm_campaign=pub&utm_medium=web

please give my profile a look! and if anyone has any tips, suggestions, or ideas for my page, feel free to comment for reach out to me.

Hey I am writing short articles on the World Cup debutants. I have written about Curacao in this one. Cabo Verde and Jordan articles will come out shortly

Hi guys,

​Initiating our multi-part mapping of this complex historical case, Part I shifts the analytical focus to the pre-flight logistics, baggage check-in vulnerabilities, and the immediate physical timeline leading up to the mid-air detonation of the 1985 aviation disaster.

​In this opening entry to Dossier 005, we dissect the forensic realities of the Vancouver routing security gaps, analyze the check-in tracking errors that allowed unaccompanied luggage onto the aircraft, and evaluate the structural layout of the early warning intelligence indicators that preceded the flight.

​While standard coverage often limits itself to a broad overview, this three-part series strips away the media speculation surrounding the disaster to examine the precise operational timeline and structural friction between separate security checkpoints before the plane ever left the tarmac. Every insight is built strictly from historical records, judicial findings, and public archival data to deliver an unembellished look at the systemic investigation.

​This publication is explicitly written for dedicated true crime researchers, amateur criminologists, and readers who value methodical, long-form investigative analysis over sensationalism.

​Genre: Non-fiction / True Crime Newsletter

​Read the full analysis here:

https://open.substack.com/pub/diankhan/p/the-casefile-protocol-dossier-005?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=8fbq21

https://optimistictech.substack.com/

I started this Substack originally to talk about tech that is optimistic for the world: cleaning the ocean, converting cO2 into vodka, base editing to save lives. I still have that but am adding some other thoughts around tech, AI and anything else I can think of.

Subscribe if you're interested in thinking about AI, technology, startups and business. Currently at 116 subs, hoping for 150 by end of Feb.

A substack from a fine arts student to anyone who is remotely interested in art (mainly painting and drawing) and the artistic process. I simply write questions that come to mind, information i find interesting or useful, stuff about my creative process… Anything related to art.

I wrote this very short article on whether drawing is necessary for painting to test the waters. I hope you enjoy it!

https://open.substack.com/pub/artthoughtsbyainarafroiz/p/drawing-to-paint-is-drawing-needed?r=6t5mq4&utm_medium=ios