The Dynamic Aging community includes a lot of writers, many of whom grace the essays in this magazine with interesting tales of their lives and adventures.

But in communications with our already-published authors – and other folks – it’s clear these writers have a lot more to say. That’s pretty much the definition of a writer. In my case, it is a borderline addiction.

So. if you’ve already published with us and have discovered your mutual addiction, I discovered a neat online outlet for writing, called Substack. Anyone with the slightest hankering for writing and publishing should consider this easy-to-use, free platform. Unlike standard “blogs,” the Substack format throws a writer’s work into a huge pond of other Substack writers and readers.

When I signed up and started publishing articles, I found myself immediately shoulder-to-shoulder electronically with Garrison Keillor, Heather Cox Richardson and many hundreds of other recognizable writers. Without much effort, new Substack writers can get noticed and attract readers.

My original idea in joining Substack was to publish my in-process eco-thriller novel one chapter at a time. It’s how Charles Dickens’ work was published in serial form in newspapers in the mid-1800s. Why do a book that way? Substack has the option of letting the author charge readers. Plus, for me, publishing chapter-by-chapter would give me much needed deadlines.

Since starting my Substack early this year (https://michaeljfitzgerald.substack.com) I’ve written about my affinity for Don Quixote, Covid 19, a paean about Rip Van Winkle, New Year’s resolutions and the national problem of newspapers closing.

This past week I published two dog-related articles. One was the joy of discovering a community of dog lovers at an upscale dog park nearby. The second was about having to go out at midnight with a flashlight to chase off a pack of coyotes howling so loud my dog joined in the howling.

Please consider telling your story here in the magazine first. But Substack is worth a look also. And if you do decide to start a Substack page, please let us know. We’d love to read what you have to say.

Michael J. Fitzgerald