Sequel Chronicles #7: In Which the Writing Commences
Plus, a greeting and a re-introduction
Hello, Friends!
Welcome to Sequel Chronicles. Typically these emails only go out to paying subscribers, but I thought Monday morning was an appropriate time to greet some new friends and lay out exactly what to expect from Nicci’s Notes, now that we’ve settled in and know our way around the place.
There are quite a few new folks here that met or otherwise found me over on Substack Notes, and based on my interaction over there you might be expecting a certain kind of writing from me. If what I offer isn’t for you, I have zero hard feelings if you bow out! I love the wonderful, thoughtful audience we’ve built over here, and I only want you here if you find value in that. Bonus points if you want to contribute to the community! (Oh, and if you’re a reader and want to hang out more informally, you can find me over on Notes!)
Who is Nicci and what does she stand for?
I have several bios sprinkled around the internet, but here’s a purpose-built one just for you.
Common across platforms, I call myself a writer, educator, and mom. That’s because I base nearly all my writing on those characteristics. I have nearly 20 years of experience in K-12 schools. I also have three kids, and attempting to have a career while also being a mother has presented a lot of challenges—which I write about.
While I run a news publication and write personal essays in the nonfiction realm, I identify mainly as a fiction writer. I published a book in January called When We Were Mothers. Check out the sales page and the reviews to see if you’d be interested in it! My work right now centers around reproductive autonomy and the question of Who gets to choose, as well as what happens when the people closest to you challenge your worldview.
I’ve also become pretty interested in human nature and politics as they form our real-life experiences over the last several years. I make no secret that my stand is pro-human rights. If you think it’s a good idea for people to be separated or marginalized, or have fewer rights, because of some innate characteristic like gender identity or skin color, this is not the right place for you. If you want to have a genuine two-way conversation and are willing to start with curiosity, I’m here for it. In fact, I co-founded a Substack publication where we do just that.
Alright. Just a check-in. Everything sound good so far? Read on.
What you will find here:
The tagline for this publication says it’s a weekly mashup of reflections on writing, motherhood, and what it means to be a human in this messy world, told with equal parts empathy, deep breaths, and levity.
Generally, each week I put some words together in an order that is hopefully pleasing to the reader. I am constantly at work to become a better writer, and I do some experimentation here.
Wednesdays: A new, original essay or poem, usually a 5-8-minute read, about a theme from my life and/or fiction work.
Fridays: A roundup of weekend recommendations known as Your Weekly Dose of EEE—I share something exciting, entertaining, and enlightening along with a few notes or updates.
Sporadically: Paying members get a short video of my process (like what’s below the paywall!) as I go about writing the sequel to When We Were Mothers. No matter when you convert, you’ll be able to go back and watch all the videos to follow the process.
What you won’t see here:
Talk involving billionaires, man-children, or a certain social media hellscape.
Partisan politics. I believe politics are real life, and it is impossible to disentangle what is happening in government from its impacts on humans. Ignoring “politics” means, to me, that you’re benefiting from the status quo and uninterested in how it affects historically marginalized groups. That said, this isn’t a political newsletter. Themes will come up in my writing and I don’t shy away from talking about them, but there are much smarter and more experienced people than me doing good work and it’s just not my lane.
Meta-conversation about Substack or humble flexing about the size of my mailing list. There is no use for that kind of conversation in this little space we’ve created. Unless, one day, there are enough paid members to fund the audiobook project. I’ll make an announcement then, but only because that will be SO EXCITING for us all and likely mean a deep discount for you.
Alright, now to the Chronicle. Since Nicci’s Notes has existed, I have told subscribers that I don’t expect anyone to convert to paid, but that if they do, all I can really offer them is the satisfaction of supporting me as a creator and making this work possible.
Recently, though, I was able to expand my offerings. Every so often (I try to do this weekly, but this stage of the process is kinda boring, and I’ve been going longer between posts), I post a video montage of me doing the planning and writing. I don’t know how useful it is (let me know in the comments if you enjoy them!), but I think it’s a fun way to connect and it will be interesting to look back on when the book is done.
And now, without further ado, here is Chronicle #7.