I’ll chime in to second everyone’s responses -- I think you should write when you want, and if this schedule works for you, that’s great! Also, even a shorter one like this one with links is cool -- I love hearing your recommendations (which are always insightful).
For me I always have a tension between writing & listening for the writing, so I hope during the break (if you take one) you get that deep sense of voice.
Like Neliza, I came here to say you write when you want. If a 2x/wk schedule works for you and is beneficial, you do it. If it seems like a chore then change it. Thanks for sharing, whenever!
So many great nuggets! Your weekend sounds lovely. I just got a new bike, and your weekend inspired me to change up my plans tomorrow for a long ride instead - thank you. And we have a soccer tournament in Cincinnati in a few weeks, but now I'm not annoyed about it because we can squeeze in a visit to Hopewell while we're there!
The blue jays are nuts at our place right now, but they're hard to see...hilarious that they're embarrassed. Thanks for pointing me to Laura's piece. Since they're your favorite bird, I wrote a little something about them that you might like: https://sarabytheseason.substack.com/p/be-like-the-blue-jay#details
I’m agnostic on schedules, except for thinking that most writers, Substack or elsewhere, worry too much about them. I’m frequently not even sure what day of the week it is.
I like the way you write about biking. I broke my back when I was little and biking is mostly painful and unpleasant (see also: why I avoid rafting trips), but I like reading about the pleasure you take in exploring these lovely places. A lot nicer than people sharing their Strava achievements!
Sep 20, 2023·edited Sep 20, 2023Liked by Thomas Pluck
We should create a way for people to easily share what they learned or saw or experienced while they moved instead of their times/paces/etc. It would be so much more interesting and less annoying!
Wouldn't it be cool to have an app like that instead of people sending their vertical or miles or whatever? I'm not an athlete; it doesn't mean anything to me! Someone (Bryan Pfeiffer, who's a field biologist and has a great Substack: https://chasingnature.substack.com) got me very hooked on iNaturalist, which feels like that what you're talking about except for just flowers and bugs and things.
Uh oh...just went down the iNaturalist rabbit hole, and I LOVE it at first glance. Thank you!
I imagine this app like a prompt that asks you for a sentence (ohh like Chris LaTray's one sentence practice!) or a phrase. I'm not an athlete either, but it *is* satisfying to see a movement streak going, as much as I wish it wasn't. But instead of calories or distance or whatever, I'd love to have a prompt that only came up after a walk/run/workout to record something to remember about it, so you'd still have your streak but less of the diet culture BS tracking. And more than my own, I'd love to read others' reflections. So many externalities too: it would incentivize more attention, less competition, and reward just doing the thing instead of the perfectionist mentality most "working out" pushes.
iNaturalist is kind of wonderful and lovely and there's a special kind of connection when some stranger politely refines or corrects your plant identification and you're like, "Oh, THAT'S what social media was meant to be like."
Which also, really, tracks with what you're describing. I do use the Substack chat section about once a week for people to share something beautiful or observational. I don't like being trapped entirely in the Substack ecosystem, but it's one way to use it that could foster the kind of connections you're describing. I like your idea. 💚
I’ll chime in to second everyone’s responses -- I think you should write when you want, and if this schedule works for you, that’s great! Also, even a shorter one like this one with links is cool -- I love hearing your recommendations (which are always insightful).
Thanks. I'll probably skip Wednesday this week.
For me I always have a tension between writing & listening for the writing, so I hope during the break (if you take one) you get that deep sense of voice.
very cool. If you are so inclined, in NE Louisiana there is Poverty Point, earthworks estimated at 1100-1700 BC, also a UNESCO site
I've been there! It's a very cool place.
Like Neliza, I came here to say you write when you want. If a 2x/wk schedule works for you and is beneficial, you do it. If it seems like a chore then change it. Thanks for sharing, whenever!
Thanks, Kate!
So many great nuggets! Your weekend sounds lovely. I just got a new bike, and your weekend inspired me to change up my plans tomorrow for a long ride instead - thank you. And we have a soccer tournament in Cincinnati in a few weeks, but now I'm not annoyed about it because we can squeeze in a visit to Hopewell while we're there!
The blue jays are nuts at our place right now, but they're hard to see...hilarious that they're embarrassed. Thanks for pointing me to Laura's piece. Since they're your favorite bird, I wrote a little something about them that you might like: https://sarabytheseason.substack.com/p/be-like-the-blue-jay#details
Thank you for sharing, that was a great read. I'll have to read Late Migrations, too.
Posts like this actually inspire me to want to ride my bike more even though I don't want to ride my bike at all. 😂😀
I just lugged my bike 90 miles to ride for an hour with my sister 😂
Sweet!
I say you write when you want.
You know my struggles in that area, so if it's working for you, do it!
Thanks, Drew. If I don't have imaginary deadlines I may never write again. It's a delicate balancing act.
Agreed!
I’m agnostic on schedules, except for thinking that most writers, Substack or elsewhere, worry too much about them. I’m frequently not even sure what day of the week it is.
I like the way you write about biking. I broke my back when I was little and biking is mostly painful and unpleasant (see also: why I avoid rafting trips), but I like reading about the pleasure you take in exploring these lovely places. A lot nicer than people sharing their Strava achievements!
Thank you, and for the advice as well. I'm sorry that your back causes pain.
Thank you. Far worse things than being grumbly when someone wants you to go cycling 😉
We should create a way for people to easily share what they learned or saw or experienced while they moved instead of their times/paces/etc. It would be so much more interesting and less annoying!
I sometimes share a photo on Instagram with the mileage I've ridden from my Garmin watch. But at least there's a photo!
Wouldn't it be cool to have an app like that instead of people sending their vertical or miles or whatever? I'm not an athlete; it doesn't mean anything to me! Someone (Bryan Pfeiffer, who's a field biologist and has a great Substack: https://chasingnature.substack.com) got me very hooked on iNaturalist, which feels like that what you're talking about except for just flowers and bugs and things.
Uh oh...just went down the iNaturalist rabbit hole, and I LOVE it at first glance. Thank you!
I imagine this app like a prompt that asks you for a sentence (ohh like Chris LaTray's one sentence practice!) or a phrase. I'm not an athlete either, but it *is* satisfying to see a movement streak going, as much as I wish it wasn't. But instead of calories or distance or whatever, I'd love to have a prompt that only came up after a walk/run/workout to record something to remember about it, so you'd still have your streak but less of the diet culture BS tracking. And more than my own, I'd love to read others' reflections. So many externalities too: it would incentivize more attention, less competition, and reward just doing the thing instead of the perfectionist mentality most "working out" pushes.
I need to use iNaturalist more... Merlin is also good for birdcall identification, but I'm not sure you can share much with it.
iNaturalist is kind of wonderful and lovely and there's a special kind of connection when some stranger politely refines or corrects your plant identification and you're like, "Oh, THAT'S what social media was meant to be like."
Which also, really, tracks with what you're describing. I do use the Substack chat section about once a week for people to share something beautiful or observational. I don't like being trapped entirely in the Substack ecosystem, but it's one way to use it that could foster the kind of connections you're describing. I like your idea. 💚