I’ve been thinking about why seeing my name on Substack’s Rising in Fiction list makes me so ridiculously happy.
Yes, there’s a little ego involved. 😊
But when I looked back at the Notes that have brought women into my world, I realized the ranking isn’t really the story.
I’m #41 Rising in Fiction,
again. 😊
It may only last a day, but every time I see my name on this list, I know something is growing.
The veranda at Echo Canyon is open to everyone.
That little $5 seat in the kitchen lets you sit with the women of the canyon, and it matters more than you probably know.
Bring the coffee. We’ll bring the stories. ☕️
This is the fourth or fifth time I’ve been on the Rising in Fiction list on Substack. The irony is, it will only last a day unless someone else decides to become a paid Subscriber, or as I call them, Story Insiders - ie. A seat at the kitchen table with the women of the canyon, where you never have to leave.
A $5 sale will keep us there, on this list. 100 will maintain the position longer.
Why does this matter? Maybe it shouldn’t. Maybe it’s just vanity. To be on a list, above thousands of other authors.
What really matters is this note:
At 73, I’m writing my second novel.
That still makes me smile when I say it.
Not because I finally became a writer.
Because three years ago, I didn’t know this version of my life existed.
And this one:
Your life is not over just because the world has stopped expecting anything new from you.
You still get to expect something from yourself.
And lastly, this one:
You know what happens in the kitchen.
Someone pours the coffee. You pull up a chair. The conversation gets better. Nobody seems particularly interested in leaving.
I realized that’s what I want Story Insiders to feel like.
Not “premium content.”
The kitchen.
A little closer to the women, the stories, and the person writing them.
So yes, I’m delighted to be #41 Rising in Fiction today. And I so appreciate those of you who have already claimed your seat
But what I’m really celebrating is this.
At 73, I’m writing my second novel. Readers are finding the women of Echo Canyon. Some of them want to come a little closer and stay awhile.
That $5 subscription may keep me on this list another day.
But to me, it means there’s one more person sitting at the kitchen table.
And I really like watching that table fill up. 😊
