Wayne was the first to introduce me to the Substack universe when he started forwarding me Heather Cox Richardson’s Letters from an American several years back.
Then, a little over a year ago (or maybe more now, who knows, time flies so fast anymore), it seemed like every time I turned around, more and more people were talking about Substack. Either mentioning someone they followed or starting their own. Friends, both fellow writers and readers, would ask if I’d ever considered sharing something there.
I watched with curiosity as my friend Jade Walker launched her A Bit of Good News and Moonlight Reader Society. She was ultimately what inspired me to take the plunge.
Troubling Troubles
The trouble was deciding what to write about. Possibilities glimmered in the back of my mind, but never fully formed.
There was also the matter of time. With Wayne retired, “me time” and writing time (which are not the same thing) are more scarce than ever. My heart longs to finish my many books in progress. However, it’s become increasingly obvious to me that in order to do that, sacrifices need to be made.
Which is where Haunt Jaunts comes in. I’ve invested the last 15 years into it, but a couple of big shifts have happened, both internally and externally, which make continuing it increasingly untenable.
The first happened in 2023. I fell into a funk, partly because I could see the writing on the wall, but refused to believe it was true. Travel Channel was one of the casualties of the Warner Bros Discovery merger. A lot of my hits came from content based on the paranormal shows.
The bigger whammy was Google’s core updates and the rise of AI. All three combined absolutely murdered my hits (and therefore revenue).
Hard to Say Goodbye
Plus, even though I didn’t want to admit it, my soul knew. The vision I’d had for Haunt Jaunts was not the one I’d materialized.
Why? I don’t know. Every once in a while, I’d post something that matched my dream. Overall, though, no.
Part of the problem was that I’d gotten caught up in the “glitz” of receiving advanced screeners and interviewing movie and TV personalities. It was exciting for a while, especially getting to talk with Robert Englund. (The Nightmare on Elm Street franchise was my favorite growing up.)
But then it became daunting, especially because the paranormal shows increasingly became worse. If I’m honest with myself, which I’m finally able to be, my heart hasn’t been in it for years now. I’ve outgrown that aspect of myself. Not to mention I’m burnt out trying to keep up with all the behind-the-scenes web maintenance, updates, and costs, which, like everything else these days, continues to rise.
However, that’s something I’ve only just recently been able to admit to myself out loud, much less publicly.
But could I walk away? I’m not 100% ready to end Haunt Jaunts altogether, but thinking of making it what I orginally had in mind leaves me feeling exhausted rather than energized. (Maybe it always did? Maybe that’s why I opted for the “easy way out” and did movie and TV reviews and interviews instead?)
The Substack Universe: The haven I was looking for?
One thing writing for Families.com, Haunt Jaunts, Netflix Life, and 1428 Elm taught me was that my busy brain likes those outlets. Because one thing I don’t suffer from is writer’s block. The opposite. Writer’s diarrhea…or at least idea diarrhea.
I have over 60 Evernote notes under my Post Idea notebooks. Admittedly, most are horror, haunted, or true crime-centric. But not all.
The Substack universe actually is the perfect place to manifest a non-spooky idea that I’ve felt passionately about for a long time now. For years, I’ve compiled a list of interesting women I’d like to write about in a Women Wednesday Evernote note.
Sadly, Women Wednesdays is already a website of its own, so I had to come up with a new name and settled on Womanized. I’d like to redefine that word and put a more positive spin on it by highlighting women who refused to take no for an answer or let their gender limit/restrict them from realizing their dreams.
I haven’t launched it yet, but will soon.
But I did recently post my first entry in Lessons Learned from Horror Movies. So, yes, Haunt Jaunts-adjacent, but also not so niche.
What can horror movies teach you?
Besides never say, “I’ll be right back,” if you do, in fact, want to stay alive when a slasher serial killer is on the loose, I’ve learned some interesting things from horror movies over the years. But not just from horror movies. From suspense/thriller/sci-fi TV shows, books, and even podcasts too.
Because inevitably I find myself wondering, “Is that true?” or “Did that really happen?” when I consume entertainment, horror or otherwise.
Like the chimp in Nope. Did a real-life animal attack inspire Gordy’s storyline? Not exactly. Sure. There have been chimp attacks. However, the worst animal actor attack actually involved lions. (During the filming of Roar.)
But it was while watching The Calendar Killer that the idea for Lessons Learned from Horror Movies formed.
“That’d be a fun way to enter the Substack universe,” I thought.
So, that’s the first lesson I shared. One that could save your life…or at least keep you safe. You can check it out here.
And if you like it, please subscribe. New lessons will drop weekly.
Your Turn
Do you partake in the Substack universe? If so, which ones do you follow? Or, if applicable, which one(s) do you write?