Hello Readers,
This past year has been excellent. The Reader Club put out eighteen book reviews, Prattles of Faith has put out nine articles, I’ve published two books and got a coloring book out there, and I have started my PhD. I’ve learned a myriad of things over the past year about newsletters, publications, publishing, and my program, and it has all brought me some clarity.
I started The Reader Club because I wanted to find stories my kids would likewise fall in love with, but I struggled with trusting the books out there. I wanted to find the stories, read them, and be able to have discussions with my kids about them. I also wanted to help shape the stories they read through the Biblical lens — my all-time favorite story. I thought my process would also interest other parents out there.
Likewise, when I started Prattles of Faith I wanted to integrate the stories of Christian creatives in the workplace. I wanted their stories. How did they utilize their faith, the Biblical lens through which they see the world, and use it in their arts? It’s a fascinating idea that I’m still working out, but I have had a great guest writer and hopefully a couple more in the works. But some great conversations have come from it, and I’m excited to hear from more people.
As I’ve started this PhD journey, I’ve also been intrigued by the idea of stories. I would love to pull leaders out and ask them to share their stories and create discussions on how their story shapes their leadership. However, being in the program, my capacity to do all three areas of interest has been seriously hampered. So has my creative writing, though as of writing this, I’m nearly through the second book of Fables of Laknohl. I’ll tease a title soon.
This brings me to the point of all of this. I want not to simplify but to clarify what I want to focus on. Namely, I want to focus on stories. These stories may come from different perspectives, but they are nonetheless stories. What will happen is that I’m going to change the publication name. The Reader Club and Prattles of Faith will still exist, using those names, but they will be in different sections of the newsletter, which will be called Scribbler. One, because I like the word. Two, because it is the title of Larkspur in the Kingdom of Laknohl (La-nōl), my beloved narrator for Fables of Laknohl. The word does lend itself to the less serious side of writing: “a minor or insignificant author” (Scribbler, Merriam-Webster). But the name is still far too endearing to let something like a definition stop me from calling it Scribbler.
Other sections will be included in this publication, too. I’ll be creating a section called From the Scribblers Desk since I would like to feature my creative writings, poems, short stories, and the like. Also, another section will be called The Story Arc Collective, which will discuss stories in Leadership. I also have plans for more sections as the newsletter grows, but all of it will be centralized around the love of stories.
Why? Because stories shape us, they change us. We may learn facts, but facts without the evidence of a story are boring. Stories guide and lead us to tremendous or terrible places. Stories inspire us. Words strung together to form a coherent sentence do not impact us. But when they are shaped into a story, real or fictional, they can ignite a burning in our souls. Imagine a statement, “Ten percent of billionaires started from less than $100.” It sounds pretty great, but it’s too outlandish, and frankly, it’s easily forgotten. Now imagine this: “Once, when a particular stock shorted, meaning people bought it for less than it was worth, hoping to profit from its loss, ten guys bet against the market. They each put $100 in, and when the stock had a short squeeze, they found they had more than $10,000. Doubling down on another shorted stock, then another, they quickly grossed over $1,000,000,000,000 in a few short years.”
Neither of these is true, but while the fact is hardly believable, the story seems real. It could happen or even merely motivate someone to think, “Maybe I should look into investing.”
I’m in no way saying that’s what this is doing, but that it could…possibly. Maybe “Scribbler” isn’t so far off…
Anyway, stories will be the center of the newsletter. Whether it’s a book review, stories of faith and creative arts, leadership, my stories, or maybe some other people’s stories, art, or poems, these will all be stories. And I’m hoping to get at least one section out a month. I would do more, but with everything I’m working on, this is about what I can manage. However, if I can get some other writers to contribute, which I am working on, it may be more consistent than once a month. Look for new branding, an update to the substack site, and new sections in the coming weeks!
Thank you for continuing this story with me. Hopefully, as it unfolds, it will inspire you in the story you’re in or help you see the stories around you in a new light. Perhaps it will even encourage you to pen the stories ruminating in you, tickling your brain, tugging those heartstrings that need a good strum. What wonderful things stories are.
Until next time, have a good read!
P.S. Here’s a sweet time-lapse of the logo design. A lot of work went into this, got multiple opinions on it. Some good some bad, and dived straight into the logo you see at the top of this email, despite the dangers I was warned about. That is, if I set the email up correctly. Not the dangers. No. Those are still there. Mostly critics lingering about like crocodiles ready to chomp on the easy prey of a poor logo maker. But I still like how it turned out. I’m sticking with it.
How very exciting! I can't wait to see what you have in store!