Hi Skool Community. I want to share my Substack page that I've created in hopes to get some subscribers in the weeks leading up to self-publishing my book, 'Unemployable! The Psychological Toll of Proving Your Worth'. I am posting 12 essays in the next couple of months that relate directly to my book, and hope that it is available mid-May or so. If you are curious, please visit, like, subscribe, share etc! I am hoping that by getting this book out of my computer, I can focus on my newer writing and have a lot more great things to offer. Thanks! Here's my latest essay: https://open.substack.com/pub/elsiepress/p/there-and-back-again?utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web

This is a first for me. Awakened Magazine Cover Feature I am excitified. [excited + terrified]. In part, I did this to explore and model this possibility for the authors in this community, to report back on the experience and value of media opportunities like this. Read the article/ listen to the podcast... Have you had a cover feature? Would you want one? More importantly, how could media like this support and validate your work in the world? Share your thoughts/questions in the comments.

@Rachel Dickson will be writing a chapter in our upcoming Collaborative Anthology, Intrepid I am thrilled to welcome her as she joins the other future authors. Please Welcome Rachel We have spots available for folks with stories about raising families abroad/ homeschooling/world schooling. Reach out if you are interested.

Step one. Fill in the Blanks... make your own unique list... Tomorrow I will share step two... Comment DONE when you have your list. STEP ONE: Fill in the blanks: 1. Adjective 2. Adjective 3. Noun 4. Place 5. Verb (ending in -ing) 6. Verb 7. Emotion 8. Famous author 9. Object 10. Adjective 11. Animal 12. Verb (past tense) 13. Type of food 14. Profession 15. Adjective 16. Noun 17. Verb 18. Something you shout dramatically 19. Color 20. Abstract idea (like courage, chaos, curiosity, etc.) OK... STEP TWO 2️⃣ - On holiday last month, I got my daughter something that became the center of many days... MADLIBS. - So you are going to take your list of words from yesterday. - Add them to the story below... - BONUS POINTS if you share a video of you reading the new story. Now Read Your Story Yesterday I sat down in a (1. adjective) café in (4. place) determined to finally write my (2. adjective) book. I opened my laptop, stared at the blinking cursor, and began (5. verb -ing) like a true literary genius. Suddenly, a (3. noun) appeared beside me and whispered, “You must (6. verb) if you want readers to feel (7. emotion).” Naturally, I assumed this was advice from the spirit of (8. famous author). Inspired, I grabbed my (9. object) and began drafting a (10. adjective) masterpiece about a (11. animal) who (12. verb past tense) across the world in search of the perfect (13. food). Halfway through chapter one, a mysterious (14. profession) appeared and said my writing had the power to change (15. adjective) (16. noun) forever. I immediately decided to (17. verb) my manuscript to every publisher on earth. Just before pressing send, I stood up and shouted: “(18. dramatic phrase)!” The room went silent. A (19. color) light shone through the window, and in that moment I realized the true power of writing was not fame or fortune… It was (20. abstract idea). And also possibly the (13. food). PART THREE We are moving into PRODUCTION... Your madlib is not a book... USE AI to make a COVER mock-up of your story: (Use your preferred AI or experiment with a new one)

This is from a book my grandfather gave me before he died. I used to share this with my high school students when I was a teacher. [Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation by Lynne Truss] Since we are digging in this week, I wanted to share it here. I love this. What comes up for you when you read these two letters?