Welcome to the edition of Behind the Substack. Today,
from Inner Wilderness Unlimited shares her approach to creativity, growing her readership, staying organised, favourite books, and self-care habits. If you enjoy this series, please let me know by leaving like, comment or subscribe for more conversations like this.
1. What’s your favourite coffee?
Truth be told, I’m mostly a tea person. Although proper tea drinkers would likely shudder at my collection of Celestial Seasonings teas. This past year, however, I did discover mushroom coffee — MUD\WTR, to be specific. It took a little getting used to until I started doctoring it with a heaping teaspoon of Ghirardelli double chocolate hot cocoa mix. Now I crave my first cup each morning.
2. Can you tell me about the moment you decided to start writing? Where were you, and what inspired you?
It was a Thursday — January 7, 1977. I was seven years old and home from school because of a snowstorm. My very first journal entry was a transcribed copy of the poem “Fairy’s Song” by William Shakespeare (who, because of my childish handwriting, appears in my copy to be named William Snakespear). I have been journaling ever since.
I’m honestly not sure what inspired me to put pencil to paper that day, but in all likelihood, it was my mom. I probably made the mistake of telling her I was bored. I can just see her handing me the notebook and a pencil and telling me to go write something. She still keeps a daily calendar and has dabbled in fiction as well. She’s also an excellent editor. I credit her with my lifelong love of books, stories, reading, and writing.
The beautiful photo of Jamie was taken by her daughter, Meg.
3. How has using Substack changed or influenced your writing style or topics?
For the past seventeen years, I’ve earned my living as a freelance writer, but not the “fun kind.” I craft case studies, blog content, grant applications, and more for corporate and non-profit clients. Early in my career, I also did a lot of blogging (mostly unpaid) and wrote a column for my local paper (also unpaid). I eventually had to let those creative outlets go because there simply weren’t enough hours in the day.
After years of writing exclusively for other people, launching my Substack is the first opportunity I’ve given myself in a long time to write about what truly interests me. The process of reclaiming my own voice is a work in progress that has been both challenging and exciting.
4. What strategies or efforts have been the most successful in growing your readership on Substack?
I am still in the very early stages of my Substack journey, so I don’t feel all that qualified to talk about growth. I will say, however, that I made myself step outside my comfort zone right from the start. Once I’d published a few introductory posts, I shared them on Facebook – the social network where I have the most engagement (primarily because most of my Facebook friends are people I know in real life). Enough people were kind enough to subscribe that I felt a little less like I was writing into the void, so that was nice.
Since then, I’ve mostly just tried to be a good Substack citizen. I read as much as I can. I like and comment and restack as much as I can. I’m also fairly active on Notes. I have a feeling that a number of subscribers have discovered me through someone else sharing one of my posts or comments. The delightful writer
has been particularly generous in this way. He is a master at Notes and has an enormously engaged community of readers. I’ve definitely made connections in his comments section that have resulted in people following me and/or subscribing to Inner Wilderness Unlimited.5. Can you share an example of something you tried that worked better than expected?
All the Substack experts tell you to “be yourself.” They advise honesty, transparency, and authenticity. I tend to be a little reserved about what I share, but when — in a moment of exhaustion — I got a little vulnerable about having bitten off more than I could chew in a piece called, “I love you. Please stop,” readers definitely responded.
So, maybe I need to learn how to get a little more personal once in a while.
6. Since you’ve started your publication, what do you consider your biggest learning so far?
It’s good to make plans, but don’t let them box you in.
I’m a natural planner who loves a good spreadsheet and lives life according to her extravagantly color-coded Google Calendar. Before I launched my newsletter, I spent almost an entire month reviewing, sorting, and organizing a year’s worth of notes into five thematic categories. It was a laborious process. Four months and sixty posts after my launch, I have barely glanced at those notes.
Instead, I have allowed myself to follow my curiosity and trust my instincts.
For example, even though the topic of loneliness did not fit neatly into any of my thematic categories, when a moment of melancholy inspired me to write a piece called, “All humans are lonely,” I went with it. It became one of my most popular posts. There’s something to be said for letting the passion of the moment dictate your writing — previously made plans be damned.
7. Can you walk us through how you plan and organise your content for your Substack publication?
My inner editor is cringing at the thought of telling the truth here, but I’m going to come clean.
I do have an editorial calendar, but it’s dreadfully out of date.
In a perfect world, I’d always have a month’s worth of newsletters queued up and ready to send; but we all know the world is not perfect. So, I’m usually writing, editing, and publishing pieces more or less in real time.
I publish three times a week, which I’ve been told is slightly aggressive and possibly insane. It breaks down like this:
On Mondays I send out “Monday Moxie” — a post featuring a song, poem, or other curated piece of art to help you get your day off to a good start. It’s a feel-good pep talk often delivered with a side of introspection.
On Thursdays I publish my main essay for the week. Most of the time this is related to the idea or theme of the Monday Moxie post, but not always.
On Saturdays I post the “Saturday Side Quest” — an invitation to do something a little spontaneous, usually with the goal of helping you explore your inner wilderness. And — yes — it’s usually related to the week’s theme.
I use the Notes app on my phone to capture ideas on the fly (often while I’m doing my morning yoga or walking a dog). And I use Scrivener to organize all my ideas, reference materials, research, resources, and drafts. Seriously, I could not function without Scrivener. I also regularly use mind maps as a kind of organic outline, and – as a lifelong journaler – I am a big proponent of writing longhand with pen and paper to “prime the pump.”
8. What tools or methods do you use to stay on top of your writing schedule?
I have five primary tools for sticking to my writing schedule:
Putting time on my calendar — I have standing time scheduled every week for writing, editing, and recording (I include voice overs with my Thursday posts). Putting this time on my calendar makes it official AND makes it harder for me to overbook myself.
Running daily silent Zoom sessions — Last April, I participated in an online writing course that included daily “silent Zooms” in which participating writers gathered virtually to work side by side using a productivity technique called “body doubling.” OMG. It was a game changer. When the course ended, I started my own small group, and we’ve been meeting every weekday since then. These sessions are when I do the bulk of my writing work for Inner Wilderness Unlimited.
Knowing myself — Once upon a time (right after my divorce when I was struggling to get my freelance career off the ground), I frequently worked until late at night only to get up at the literal crack of dawn the next day so I could get a couple hours of work in before my then three-year-old daughter woke up. And I don’t even drink coffee. I now realize that I was likely running on adrenaline. These days, I know my brain will cease to be capable of forming coherent sentences after 5pm, so I try really hard to avoid scheduling after-hours writing.
Type A/eldest-sibling syndrome — Someday, I imagine I will outgrow this unhealthy tendency, but for now I carry an overblown sense of responsibility to make my deadlines, even the arbitrary ones I’ve set for myself.
Bribery — When all else fails, promising myself a cookie or a new book can be just the trick to push me over the finish line.
9. On average, how much time do you spend working on your Substack each day or week?
Because I live my life by my beautiful, color-coded Google Calendar, I am able to get a pretty accurate sense of how much time I spend on my Substack. Overall, it looks like I’m currently spending approximately 9 to 12 hours each week. This includes ideation, writing, editing, recording, publishing, and responding to comments. It also includes some time for reading and commenting on other people’s Substacks, and a little time for participating in Substack-related webinars and other training sessions.
It’s tough to justify spending this much time on a project that — so far — is generating almost no income (and definitely no profits). I’m a single mom with a daughter in college, a mortgage to pay, and all the other responsibilities that come with being head of a household. However, I’m also a writer who has been putting her dreams on the back burner for many (many) years, so I’m trying to follow my own advice: “It’s time to do your thing. Now. I mean it.”
10. How do you juggle your Substack with other commitments in your life?
Ahh, yes. And there’s the rub.
The piece I mentioned earlier — “I love you. Please stop,” — will give you a sense of how I sometimes utterly fail to strike a balance in my life. In my desire to be consistent, I can drive myself a little hard. I haven’t quite hit burnout, but there are days when I feel dangerously close.
One thing that really helps is being super clear about my priorities. For example, Sundays are for me and my beau. I don’t book writing time or take on any other commitments on Sundays. That’s our time, and it’s non-negotiable. Also, whenever my daughter needs me, I’m there. No questions asked. If that means a Substack post goes out late, or not at all, so be it.
That said, I do make regular sacrifices at the altar of my Substack. Other than the shows I enjoy with my daughter, I watch very little television. I also have precious little time (or energy) left over for curling up with a good book, so most of my reading is via audiobooks. I also probably don’t get as much sleep as I should, but who does?
11. How do you care for yourself?
On paper, my self care looks pretty stellar. Most mornings I do yoga, pull tarot cards, chat with my mom, and write in my journal. I’m also outside almost every day because of my side hustle as a dog walker. (Bonus self-care points for hanging out with dogs. They are the best.) Twice a week, I get to have a riding lesson with the handsomest boy ever.
But I’m learning that, sometimes, trying to fit all this self care in ends up adding to the chaos and stress instead of alleviating it. Sometimes the best self care you can give yourself is to let things go. If I can’t do yoga one morning, that’s okay. If I have time to write only half a page in my journal, the world isn’t going to end.
I also recommend naps. And chocolate.
12. What’s a book you’ve read recently that had a big impact on you?
This is such a hard question because there are so many books I’d like to mention! I’m going to offer up three: a memoir, a fiction series, and a non-fiction writing book.
Happily — A Personal History - With Fairy Tales by Sabrina Orah Mark
I don’t read a lot of memoirs, but the subtitle of this one intrigued me. Based on her acclaimed Paris Review column, Mark’s collection of essays drew me in from page one. The book jacket copy says it best, “… Mark’s essays find the magic in the mundane and illuminate the surreality of life today and the stories we tell ourselves to get by.”
The Tiffany Aching series from Sir Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series
Though I’m a lifelong lover of fantasy, I’m a latecomer to Pratchett’s iconic Discworld series. The Tiffany Aching books are meant for young readers, but they have plenty of wisdom to offer grown ups as well. I highly recommend.
The Heroine’s Journey by Gail Carriger
I have several books about the heroine’s journey, but — written by a self-described “bad academic” — this is the one that really opened my eyes to the power of looking at the world (and ourselves) through a different story lens. My fascination with the Heroine’s Journey has cropped up in a couple of my Substack posts – one about the importance of friends and another about activating your warrior mode … heroine style. I sense there will be more to come in this vein.
13. Where are you finding joy when things don’t go to plan?
Oddly, I often find joy in the fact that things haven’t gone to plan. As a recovering perfectionist and — some might say — control freak, I feel a kind of delight each time something goes wrong and the world doesn’t end. It feels like the Universe is trying to teach me resilience, and I’m finally (after 55 years!) starting to get the hang of it.
14. What are you working on right now?
Mostly, I’m working on slowing down, paying more attention to the people and pursuits that matter to me most, and taking each day as it comes. Honestly, I don’t think you can do better than that.
Thank you so much, SuddenlyJamie, for sharing your stories with us! What are two things that stood out to you or that you’re taking away from this interview?
If you enjoyed the interview with SuddenlyJamie, you might also enjoy this one with Courtney:
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