What I Wanted Vs. What I Got

Looking back on the first year of Wildwood Rising

There’s a maxim in storytelling, particularly beloved among scriptwriters, that what a character wants is distinct from what they need. A good protagonist goes through the story desperately seeking one thing (such as a lost treasure), only to end up finding something different and ultimately much more valuable (like love).

As in storytelling, so in life.

When I started this newsletter a year ago, if I’m being completely honest, I really only had one purpose in mind. I hoped it would help sell more copies of my Blind Bowman trilogy of novels.

I suspect this hasn’t worked.

Latest evidence suggests an author can shout all they like on social media and it won’t make much difference to book sales. In the past week, both indie author

Bill Hiatt

and

Andromeda Romano-Lax

, who is traditionally published, have argued this point well. (Read their respective articles here and here.)

Even if I had a hundred times the number of subscribers I currently have, my books still wouldn’t be bothering the bestseller lists.

So then...if Wildwood Rising has failed to achieve its original aim, does that mean I’m going to pack it up? Not a bit of it.

Because while it may not have given me what I wanted, this newsletter has gifted me all this instead:

It's a creative outlet in its own right:

Writing novels is a long process. You can go months or even years between seeing a finished manuscript, let alone a published book. A newsletter is more immediate – you can order some thoughts, enjoy crafting an article, get it out into the world and have people read and react. It’s a short-term boost for the creative engine. This is even more true, I’m sure, for those who publish fiction in this format. In Year Two, as this newsletter continues to evolve and improve, I’m planning to add more work-in-progress, novel extracts, and perhaps some short stories.

It’s helping me appreciate the journey:

I can easily get tangled up in all that’s “gone wrong” in my writing career. But there are so many reasons to be grateful. Having three novels published by a top imprint is the most obvious example. But it isn’t all about end results. I wrote an essay about how travelling into the Amazon gave me the initial inspiration to write my Robin Hood tales. Other articles too have forced me to pause and look back and appreciate how far I’ve come. From this perspective, even apparent failures, such as my doomed attempt to write a high-tech thriller, become a valued part of the adventure.

The story so far: events chronicled over the past year include the release of two novels, and a research trip to Athens (top right)

It’s encouraging me to open up:

One of my earliest articles was about how I hated self-publicity and would do anything I could to avoid it. But I’ve increasingly come to see that this shyness is fundamentally selfish: it doesn’t serve me or my publisher or my stories or my readers. This newsletter has been the perfect place to practice being more open and generous.

It’s a crucible for connection:

But of all the boons I’ve received from this newsletter, the greatest by far has been new friendships with fellow readers and writers. For the longest time I believed the writing life was necessarily a solitary affair. But now I understand that nobody can get by all on their own.

This platform has proven to me that there are potential allies everywhere. I’ve directly collaborated with the multi-talented

Simon K Jones

and phenomenal

David McIlroy

, but there are many others who’ve gifted me their support, encouragement and practical help.

I deeply appreciate every single reader of Wildwood Rising, whether you’ve contributed an idea, shared a post, or simply tuned in now and then to see what’s going on – you all have my deepest gratitude.

I’ll look forward to seeing you all for Year Two…

Happy reading – and happy holidays!

Tim

P.S. In a full year of reading articles on Substack, this week’s post from

J.E. Petersen

is perhaps the most profound and well argued I’ve come across. Do yourself a favour and give it a few minutes of your attention:

Dead or Alive

P.P.S. It hadn’t gone live at the time of writing, but

Claudia Befu

announced a new four-part serial that will be landing very soon. Her gift to us all for the holidays!

All grapes are sour until they're ripe