IMHO it's tough to write a Substack like this and also write fiction. I can't think of anyone who substacks on your level and is also a successful author. I made the decision myself not to blog or substack because I need that energy for my sci-fi. Not saying you can't do both, but you shouldn't feel frustrated about not publishing fiction. After all, essays about contemporary society and politics ARE a kind of science fiction, just with fewer sympathetic characters!
I consider what I do here to be an artistic project, first and foremost.
It's definitely hard to maintain a regular publication schedule and write fiction. Nevertheless I intend to do this (though it might require me taking a bit of a break from essays).
This venue makes room for your whole mind and includes philosophy and history in a way that fiction may not. Also, while you're traveling, you should consider another genre: the American road novel or the larger set of travel narratives. There are many good ones. Steinbeck and Kerouac famously contributed (or we could just ignore the commies the way they do us). There is an appetite and a marketplace for travel memoir.
I cringed just reading it! That question sets my nerves off. It is only asked of creative people, and it seems to mean only, do I need to pay attention to you, then?
Something less gauche such as what sort of writing do you do might be nice--or what do you like to write; or even, dare I suggest it, what writers have influenced you; or, are there are contemporary writers you admire? Do you write prose or poetry, fiction or non-fiction or plays? Something that conversationally shows actual interest as opposed to judgment. Actually, thanks for the question--that's a start!
As to Jame's, Acceptable Outcomes, the kindle version is $9.99, only free if you join kindleunlimited & pay $11.99/mo after the tease first three months free.
Since I'm picking nits, I notice a lot of ums, uhs and um uhs aws in the podcast, quite common today but absent from earlier rhetoric. I contend such is due to the disappearance of tobacco from the social scene. Back in the day, while waxing eloquent, when a pause was needed for thought collection, a puff on one's cigarette provided such with no need to fill the empty air with an uh. The professor, the engineer needing even more time to mentally clarify a complex reflection before expression, could fill as much a four minutes relighting his pipe. In the few, back in the day, smoking verboten locations a glass of water, sips of same an inadequate puff substitute but better than, uh, nothing.
The Bushido of Bitcoin promo; very well done! However, “What happens when Bitcoin wins?” petītiō principiī ? I suspect rocks or metal are the more likely future exchange mediums but I'm for a Bushido of, none the less.
Nits picked, excellent essay so put that in your pipe and smoke it, good on yer helping Svetski build a better Bushido and generally stirring, frying for all it's wok!
I've learned the hard way how difficult it can be to take a novel to completion. But with writing, it's not a bad thing to split your time between different endeavors. It's hard to work on the same thing non-stop without getting burnt out. Also, sometimes perspective on one project can be gained by working on another project. The only thing that's really a killer is setting something aside completely, thinking you'll come back to it later, and later never arrives.
The description of evading the further questions about your writing made me chuckle..haha
I can also relate to going back to a place you were pre-lockdowns, and having a mix of feelings, like nostalgia, shock, peace, calm, curiosity and almost a sense of it being from like a lifetime ago. Or a different life for that matter.
Anyway. Looking forward to the your stories. They’re much needed in the world.
Going to listen into the pods soon.
And of course, Thankyou for the shout out on the book!
"Vita pillret" a double entendre? How? It simply means (the) white pill. If you pronounce it with an f-sound instead of the v-sound, you get "fita" which sounds close to "fitta" (cunt), but apart from that, I'll have to ask you to explain.
I gave up looking for a job to a large, nearby church. Sick of increasing ire.
18 months later.
Before amplified sound, no one, at any time, has ever experienced body trembling bass except in horrific circumstances.
What does that mean for today music influencing the "reptile brain" [?]
It'd be great to have middle-class white high school boys desiring to be sound engineers the excuse to have their parents buy them quality sound systems. ;^}> Oh, & me be their teacher again too. 8^)
IMHO it's tough to write a Substack like this and also write fiction. I can't think of anyone who substacks on your level and is also a successful author. I made the decision myself not to blog or substack because I need that energy for my sci-fi. Not saying you can't do both, but you shouldn't feel frustrated about not publishing fiction. After all, essays about contemporary society and politics ARE a kind of science fiction, just with fewer sympathetic characters!
I consider what I do here to be an artistic project, first and foremost.
It's definitely hard to maintain a regular publication schedule and write fiction. Nevertheless I intend to do this (though it might require me taking a bit of a break from essays).
This venue makes room for your whole mind and includes philosophy and history in a way that fiction may not. Also, while you're traveling, you should consider another genre: the American road novel or the larger set of travel narratives. There are many good ones. Steinbeck and Kerouac famously contributed (or we could just ignore the commies the way they do us). There is an appetite and a marketplace for travel memoir.
I may do this, if anything interesting happens. I've actually been meaning to write up my Colombian experiences.
This exchange gave me some confidence in working on my own publications. Both fictional and non-fictional.
The dreaded 'I'm a writer' conversation... well handled.
I cringed just reading it! That question sets my nerves off. It is only asked of creative people, and it seems to mean only, do I need to pay attention to you, then?
How would you ideally like people to respond to "I'm a writer"?
Something less gauche such as what sort of writing do you do might be nice--or what do you like to write; or even, dare I suggest it, what writers have influenced you; or, are there are contemporary writers you admire? Do you write prose or poetry, fiction or non-fiction or plays? Something that conversationally shows actual interest as opposed to judgment. Actually, thanks for the question--that's a start!
Thanks very much for sharing these excellent questions. I will ask some of these the next time that I have the opporunity.
As to Jame's, Acceptable Outcomes, the kindle version is $9.99, only free if you join kindleunlimited & pay $11.99/mo after the tease first three months free.
Since I'm picking nits, I notice a lot of ums, uhs and um uhs aws in the podcast, quite common today but absent from earlier rhetoric. I contend such is due to the disappearance of tobacco from the social scene. Back in the day, while waxing eloquent, when a pause was needed for thought collection, a puff on one's cigarette provided such with no need to fill the empty air with an uh. The professor, the engineer needing even more time to mentally clarify a complex reflection before expression, could fill as much a four minutes relighting his pipe. In the few, back in the day, smoking verboten locations a glass of water, sips of same an inadequate puff substitute but better than, uh, nothing.
The Bushido of Bitcoin promo; very well done! However, “What happens when Bitcoin wins?” petītiō principiī ? I suspect rocks or metal are the more likely future exchange mediums but I'm for a Bushido of, none the less.
Nits picked, excellent essay so put that in your pipe and smoke it, good on yer helping Svetski build a better Bushido and generally stirring, frying for all it's wok!
The banishing of tobacco from polite company has definitely made people dumber.
Also, my bad, I didn't look closely enough to realize it was a Kindle unlimited promo.
I've learned the hard way how difficult it can be to take a novel to completion. But with writing, it's not a bad thing to split your time between different endeavors. It's hard to work on the same thing non-stop without getting burnt out. Also, sometimes perspective on one project can be gained by working on another project. The only thing that's really a killer is setting something aside completely, thinking you'll come back to it later, and later never arrives.
Each art work is its own heaven. That's why we never want to complete them. Joys impregnate but sorrows bring forth.
All very true, and I know the truth of it from personal experience.
You can think of yourself as Michelangelo and we, your audience, are your Medicis.
I'm stealing this.
Well, ok, after reading this I will take my pile of half-assed ideas and set them in print, out of sheer cussedness. Cheers and ¡bon voyage!
Herr John Carter
Tack så mycket !
I am delighted to read and support your missives from Olympius Mons.
Your keyboarding has a slight “Tharkian” dialect
Please continue your wonderful journeys through the known and unknown universes
Well done
Hälsningar
Jon
Do you speak Swedish?
Tack you for your support!
Javisst kan jag talar Svenska!
Jag har lärt mig Svenska sidan sju år nu.
Min farfar har kommit frs norra Sverige i 1906
Jag bor i Vancouver area
Kan du talar Svenska ochså ?
Regards
Thanks for your interview on Spreaker just finished it
Jon
Damn your farfar emigrated over a century ago and you still speak the language. I'm impressed.
Hope you enjoyed the interview!
I’m a retired boomer now
Ias a teenager I didn’t take time to learn from my elders which I regret
Loved your interview
How you express your journey especially since Pandemia and all the forced and emergent policies have changed the country I grew up in
Generational change is very apparent to me
Thanks for being eloquent in expressing how you make sense of the whirling twirling vortex of despair we are currently in
Jon
The description of evading the further questions about your writing made me chuckle..haha
I can also relate to going back to a place you were pre-lockdowns, and having a mix of feelings, like nostalgia, shock, peace, calm, curiosity and almost a sense of it being from like a lifetime ago. Or a different life for that matter.
Anyway. Looking forward to the your stories. They’re much needed in the world.
Going to listen into the pods soon.
And of course, Thankyou for the shout out on the book!
Thanks for the support John. Godspeed!
I'll listen to the pod, but before doing so:
"Vita pillret" a double entendre? How? It simply means (the) white pill. If you pronounce it with an f-sound instead of the v-sound, you get "fita" which sounds close to "fitta" (cunt), but apart from that, I'll have to ask you to explain.
White pill is slang for optimism.
But it's also regarding white skin.
I gave up looking for a job to a large, nearby church. Sick of increasing ire.
18 months later.
Before amplified sound, no one, at any time, has ever experienced body trembling bass except in horrific circumstances.
What does that mean for today music influencing the "reptile brain" [?]
It'd be great to have middle-class white high school boys desiring to be sound engineers the excuse to have their parents buy them quality sound systems. ;^}> Oh, & me be their teacher again too. 8^)
Amsterdam has the most defeated feel of any city I've ever visited.
Really? Haven't spent much time there but it seemed quite pleasant, and the Dutch that I've met have all been great.
Maybe the dirt and ever present clouds of weed smoke reinforced the impression. The whole place felt sad and lifeless.
I enjoyed it tremendously, although I admit the clouds of pot smoke were less than pleasant.