✍️ Desk of Amy Suto: Make Them Mad
Overcoming people pleasing and a fear of hitting "publish."
Happy Sunday! In today’s newsletter, you’ll read about…
✍️ How to overcome your fear of hitting “publish”
☕️ Why your people pleasing is blocking your creativity
😎 How I’m making more progress on my serialized novel
📖 3-Minute Story: Make Them Mad
One of the first writing classes I took at USC was taught by a professor who was known for the first assignment he teaches. It’s a “pushing boundaries” assignment that requires nervous freshman to write something bold and boundary-breaking: something scandalous or controversial.
Too often, we pick the “safe” route. We avoid the conflict in our lives and on the page, and we’re worse off for it.
I know this resonates with you because of the reactions one of my Notes on Substack got this week:
As a chronic people pleaser, I’ve made myself small in situations where I needed to stand up for myself. I avoided conflict when I needed to say something. Or — I wrote something “safe” instead of something real.
Now I’m not saying people should just seek out conflict “just because.” There’s a difference between being honest and being cruel — it’s all in the intent.
If you’re intending to make meaningful art from a good place, but it upsets someone — who cares?
Your true fans will read and support your work no matter what, so hit publish and let them find you.
I’ve been practicing what I’m preaching with my own creative work over at let me be your ghost — my serialized thriller novel. The book is being published chapter-by-chapter for my subscribers, and it can be a bit scary to hit “publish” on what is essentially a first draft of my book. That’s also the fun of the experiment.
As writers, we owe it to ourselves and our readers to be bold. There’s no point in making ourselves small just because we fear criticism.
The criticism will come no matter what: might as well make some adventurous art in the meantime.
Here are more posts of mine you may find interesting:
✨ 2 Quotes to Inspire You
"Do what you feel in your heart to be right — for you’ll be criticized anyway." — Eleanor Roosevelt
"Of course I am not worried about intimidating men. The type of man who will be intimidated by me is exactly the type of man I have no interest in." — Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
✍️ 1 Journal Prompt for Reflection
Push your boundaries. I’ll give you the same prompt I was given as a writing student at USC: write something that pushes the envelope — and will definitely make someone mad. Write it just for yourself and your hard drive, and go all out. See what it feels like to write without judgment — no inner editor allowed!
Feel free to share your reflections in the comments:
💻 New Blog Posts on AmySuto.com
📚 New Chapters of My Thriller Novel Let Me Be Your Ghost
📸 Photo of the Week: #Throwback to Porto, Portugal
This coffeeshop in Porto, Portugal is a dream and overlooks the river. Read more about my favorite spots in Porto on my travel guide!
Follow me on X/Twitter or Instagram for more!
⚡️ Upcoming Wednesday Edition: The Art of Writing Short
This Wednesday, ✍️ From the Desk of Amy Suto paid subscribers will get an exclusive issue about…
✨ How to write short stories and newsletters that captivate
🧪 Why everything boils down to a set-up and punchline
📚 When writing short helps you write better at length
Sending creativity and good writing vibes your way,
-Amy
p.s. I create my newsletter voiceovers and my podcast episodes using the tool Wondercraft AI, a text-to-speech tool that speaks in YOUR voice. 🎙 Use my code SUTO50 or this link to get 50% off your Wondercraft AI subscription! (paid/affiliate link)
Love reading your work, Amy!
I'm thinking of adding a paid option to my newsletter soon. My book will be out in a few months' time and I'm wondering if I also add a chapter a month for paid subscribers...? But do you add this chapter as a linked PDF or do you literally copy it as text in to your newsletter? I'm thinking the later might just make the newsletter too long? Would welcome your advice. Thanks