The hottest Writing Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Literature Topics

Undead

ASK MOLLY • 6662 implied HN points • 05 Oct 23
🎭️ Culture Gender Writing Expression Identity Opinion
  1. The author reflects on societal expectations and challenges faced by unfamous women writers
  2. Exploring the pressure to conform to traditional roles and the struggle to be authentic and outspoken
  3. Discussing the importance of speaking out and sharing experiences, despite societal expectations

How Does This Idea Sound To You?

Agents and Books • 2240 implied HN points • 09 Jan 24
📚 Literature Writing Book Publishing Editing
  1. When pitching a book idea, it's more than just a quick question or statement. Take the time to fully develop and flesh out your idea.
  2. Don't solely rely on others for validation or success of your idea. Invest time and effort to explore its potential on your own.
  3. Excitement and personal investment in an idea matter more than getting a quick answer or guarantee from someone else.

a close read of my MFA statement of purpose

sweater weather • 4166 implied HN points • 20 Nov 23
📚 Literature Writing Influences Craft Experience
  1. A statement of purpose for MFA programs is about explaining your reasons for pursuing the degree.
  2. In writing, the concept of 'purpose' can be elusive and complex, leading to a struggle in articulating one's creative goals.
  3. Regardless of the challenges faced during the MFA program application process, it's essential to stay true to your writing ambitions and seek to make those aspirations a reality.

Freedom to write, freedom to research, to do something together: An interview with Ruth Ben-Ghiat 

read • 10220 implied HN points • 31 Jul 23
🚌 Education Academia Research Writing Income Feedback
  1. Scholars on Substack are reaching new audiences and earning income for their research and writing.
  2. Substack provides academics like Ruth Ben-Ghiat with financial freedom to pursue public-interfacing research.
  3. Academic writers use Substack for engaging with readers, testing new ideas, and shaping their research through feedback.
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A New Literature

Software Design: Tidy First? • 1903 implied HN points • 11 Jan 24
📚 Literature Writing Model Content creation Evolution Interactivity
  1. The new companion model called Rent-a-Kent combines blog posts with a trained language model to promote reader interaction.
  2. Creating the companion model felt more like programming than writing a blog post, with less control over the model's responses.
  3. This new form of literature allows for immediate questions and comments without the delay of waiting for replies, but may lack the human connection found in traditional comment sections.

making things is hard

bookbear express • 875 implied HN points • 20 Feb 24
🎨 Art & Illustration Creativity Writing Self-doubt Challenges
  1. Making things is hard and consistency is key. Practice constantly, read, and stay interested in topics you love.
  2. Accept that the creative process is challenging, but that's a good thing. Embrace the difficulties and keep pushing forward.
  3. Being stuck in the middle of a project is a natural part of the process. Learn to appreciate and navigate this phase to succeed in creating.

An Ocean of Data

Justin E. H. Smith's Hinternet • 466 implied HN points • 12 Mar 24
🕹 Technology Data Artificial Intelligence Writing Publishing Digital Transformation
  1. Data produced in just one minute in 2023 was 169,371 times more than produced in the entire 18th century.
  2. The analogy of
  3. pissing into the ocean
  4. implies the massive amount of data being generated daily being like a drop in the vast ocean.
  5. The role of a writer has evolved significantly from the 18th century, with the digital era signaling the end of traditional writing as we knew it.

THE JC PENNEY DEBACLE

Cintra Wilson Feels Your Pain • 1316 implied HN points • 18 Jan 24
🎭️ Culture Fashion Social Issues Media Art Writing
  1. The author faced backlash and public condemnation for an article she wrote about JC Penney that was perceived as snobbish and cruel.
  2. The incident led to the author being publicly renounced by The New York Times, causing significant personal and professional consequences.
  3. Despite the backlash, some individuals supported the author and appreciated her humor and writing style.

Grow your following on Substack (a workshop)

The Novelleist • 553 implied HN points • 28 Feb 24
💼 Business Workshop Influence Community Newsletter Writing
  1. The workshop offers guidance on how to grow your following on Substack and an 8-week challenge to increase subscribers by 500 people.
  2. Investing in and offering support to writers can help spark a Renaissance of literary thinkers on Substack.
  3. The goal is to expand reach and inspire the next generation to be dreamers and problem solvers through creating new ecosystems of writers.

Generative AI, Bullshit as a Service

The Algorithmic Bridge • 891 implied HN points • 06 Feb 24
🕹 Technology AI Ethics Creativity Writing
  1. Generative AI technology is often used for negative purposes like spamming, cheating, and faking.
  2. The democratization of creative freedom through AI may not be beneficial as it can lead to misuse by those who don't truly value it.
  3. Despite the potential of AI to revolutionize the world, its primary current use is for mundane and simplistic tasks, highlighting the complexities and limitations of humanity.

Writing Is a Bad Habit

Justin E. H. Smith's Hinternet • 915 implied HN points • 04 Feb 24
📖 Philosophy Writing Literature Philosophy Culture Education
  1. The author believes writing is not a lifestyle to be celebrated, but rather a bad habit.
  2. They express frustration with the cultural recursion and excessive focus on writing within platforms like Substack.
  3. The author emphasizes the importance of conveying a unique sensibility through writing rather than focusing on writing rituals and advice.

Making the Sausage

Freddie deBoer • 11627 implied HN points • 22 Feb 23
🎭️ Culture Writing Politics Craft Industry Literature
  1. The author received positive feedback for a piece about the 1990s and discusses the importance of conveying conflicting perspectives in writing.
  2. The author emphasizes the value of crafting well-written pieces that move and entertain readers.
  3. The author reflects on the challenges and rewards of maintaining individuality in writing while meeting reader expectations.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

History, etc • 1788 implied HN points • 21 Dec 23
📚 Literature Writing Publication Events Podcasts Fiction
  1. The writer expressed gratitude to the readers for their support throughout the year.
  2. The newsletter has grown to over 12,000 readers with various engaging content like Q&A, interviews, and history quizzes.
  3. Future plans for the newsletter include more content like monthly interviews, history quizzes, and maintaining subscription prices until 2025.

What have I been up to lately? Recent essays and plans

Tracing Woodgrains • 884 implied HN points • 03 Feb 24
🎨 Art & Illustration Writing Social Commentary
  1. The author experienced a sudden surge in attention and opportunities after posting on Twitter.
  2. There is a struggle to balance writing between Substack and Twitter due to differences in reach and community building.
  3. The author values deep investigative writing but finds it challenging to dedicate time to it alongside other commitments.

15 Random Things That Will Probably Help Your Publishing Career Much More Than an MFA Ever Could (or Writers’ Conferences, or AWP)

How to Glow in the Dark • 825 implied HN points • 30 Jan 24
📚 Literature Publishing Writing Success Career Commercial
  1. Success in book publishing is unique and can't be replicated by following the traditional path
  2. MFAs and writers' conferences have value, but they don't guarantee commercial success as an author
  3. Factors like platform, artistic skill, and personal artistic style are crucial for achieving a big book deal

How to Write a Speech: Tips from MLK’s Notes

Noted • 904 implied HN points • 25 Jan 24
🎭️ Culture Writing Speeches
  1. There are formulas for writing speeches that have been used for centuries, but the key is adding your unique style to them.
  2. Martin Luther King Jr. mastered sermon delivery formulas and added his own unique style to them.
  3. Following MLK's speech templates is a good starting point for becoming a better public speaker.