Morning.
150 weeks of doing this together?!?
That’s SO cool.
I’m sitting here with my hot drink—some dandelion something that isn’t coffee, isn’t tea, but beats Pero by a mile. Small win before 6 AM.
This week feels like January to me. Brand new year energy.
Why?
Because I’m finally wrapping up a project I’ve been buried in for almost a year
Season 6 of Chronicles of a Hero is done
I’m excited to get back to all the things I’ve had to shelve.
There’s so much happening in the world of publishing and Substack right now, and I’ve got this feeling there’s going to be a massive migration coming.
A lot of famous names are joining Substack. Some people are saying that makes discovery harder for the rest of us.
I don’t see it that way.
Every big name brings their audience over.
They’re bringing new fans for everybody.
A bigger pool.
More opportunity.
Maybe I’m wrong, but I don’t think I am.
The way media and the world are going right now, there’s so much lying.
I go to YouTube and everything feels like clickbait.
Channels I loved for two years?
Won’t watch them anymore.
There isn’t uniqueness or personality anymore. Everything feels and looks and tastes the same.
Except for those who are not.
I just want to tell stories.
I want to have fun.
I want to take you deeper into mystery and magic and... yeah, lots of stuff.
Let’s get back to some normalcy.
And here’s the thing: if you are authentically you and your stories don’t suck… you’re still in business.
If you’re consistent and authentic, eventually you’re going to stand out like gold.
Everyone else seems to be chasing fads or AI or whatever.
Everything eventually becomes the same.
Except for those who aren’t.
Quick shift.
My son tried to swim with wild orcas over the weekend.
I know.
My boys flew out to Oregon with some friends for a weekend of roleplaying. They went down to Pebble Beach to watch the seals. He climbed down to about 10 feet from the water to get a better shot.
All of a sudden, two black fins come up and head toward the seals.
Two orcas.
Two killer whales.
He looks at me while telling the story and says, “Dad, I can’t tell you how badly I wanted to just jump in the water and swim with them.”
I’m like, what?
He says, “There’s not a single documented case of a wild orca ever attacking a human being. All the cases where someone was attacked were from captivity. Four out of the five attacks? Same whale.”
I’m like, “What happens if you were wrong and they did attack you?”
He says excitedly, “Well, then it would be awesome. I’d be the first documented case.”
Dude. Dude. Dude.
I have such weird kids.
Awesome weekend.
I’m excited about this week. My project will finally kick off.
Wish me luck.
But everything else? Life is great. Life is really great.
You have more opportunities than ever before. More tools available than ever before. Easier ways to make connections with people than ever before.
Nobody can stand in your way!
Go do something amazing.
Go change the world.
Make it a better place.
That’s what I’m trying to do.
Don’t try to be the best. Be the only.
You are MORE than you THINK you are!
Until Next Time,
Jaime *the-NON-Orca-swimmer* Buckley
Want to contribute, but don’t want to do it through a paid subscription? Why not consider helping Jaime with supplies or gear to keep LoF going? Or maybe send him a treat for all his hard work (Coke Zero, yum)? He keeps a public list of what he’s saving up for…
Remember:
MONDAY & WEDNESDAY mornings at 9am Pacific, Tell Me a Mystery’s Ann Kimbrough, will encourage you, make you smile, and give you that much-needed nudge to accomplish your weekly writing progress!!
