HeyJaredWriting on the Side
Creativity, intentional living, and everyday bravery from a mental health counselor in training.
- Indexed issues, last 90 days
- 11
- Latest publication
- Sep 30, 2026
- Audience
- Checking…
- Earliest in this view
- Jul 23, 2026
Latest issues
I compiled *everything* I wish I knew before I started my very first book. (opens the original)
Read excerpt
I may not have four books to show for each time I sat down to write a full-length manuscript, but I did accrue a whole lot of knowledge along the way, and I’ve put that knowledge into my new digital guide for Writing on the Side readers! Survive the First Draft distills everything I’ve learned the hard way while writing fiction and getting through the first and subsequent drafting processes. Think of it as a mini-course for busy, overwhelmed writers, designed to get you to the (elusive!) first d
Practical ways to strengthen your craft beyond ‘write every day’ (opens the original)
Read excerpt
I’ve never been a Write Every Day diehard, even though I don’t think it’s a bad thing to do. (Tl;dr: Regularly > Daily.) Beyond the sustainability argument of a daily writing practice, I’ve also found other ways that move the needle in terms of strengthening writing fluency, voice attunement and, most importantly, strengthening your writer’s mindset. If you want your craft to actually sharpen — not just your word count to climb — here are a few other habits I strongly suggest adopting. <f
4 things novel writing and Substack growth have in common (opens the original)
Read excerpt
There’s much ado about growth in my mind lately. Some of you might know that in addition to running this Substack and writing my next book, I’m in graduate school for clinical mental health counseling, and what else is counseling preoccupied with if not growth? I was especially inspired by this summer’s coursework in Human Development, which champions the idea that although growth is astronomical in our early years, it continues for most of our lives; right up till the end if we’re lucky. I find
Marketing my memoir: Pub Day is the frost date, not the harvest (Guest post) (opens the original)
Read excerpt
Much ado about marketing this month! As we dive into this helpful and relatable guest post. Yes, even with a book deal, the marketing task can still fall in your hands. Dr. Sarah Long reflects on the marketplace, the challenges, and the farmer’s tact of planning your way through it! When Regal House Publishing said yes to Uprooted, my memoir, I walked around for days in a kind of golden fog.I teach writing for a living, manage a small farm in East Tennessee for love, and run a food nonprofit for
Marketing used to be my job. Marketing my own book is harder. (opens the original)
Read excerpt
For years, marketing was my job. I’ve written copy and conceptualized ideas to sell refrigerators, cashmere sweaters, and one-topping pizzas—not to mention corporate brands and services too. No matter what it is, put it in front of me and I can figure out how to pitch it, position it, and put a bow on it to get results.Then came my own book.Subscribe
Publishing over time
Last 90 days. Choose a month to open its work.
Recurring subjects
Named in the text we hold. One piece can cover several.
Audience
No verified audience measurement yet.
About this data
Counts cover the work we have indexed. Tone needs enough text and a confident classification. Excerpts and episode notes are not full articles or transcripts.
Identity or attribution wrong? Suggest a correction.