Life, the Universe, and Lani

On the first of January 2025, I posted my first chapter of my memoir, Misfortune Cookie, on Substack. And on my birthday, the 14th of May, 2026, I will have published my last chapter.

I’ve carried these stories for decades, and for decades, these stories have carried me. These chapters have undergone numerous iterations from third person, back to first, to heavy edits, with additions and subtractions being whirled about with the kind of madness that self-doubt caters to so well.

Finally, I’ve decided—enough. It’s never going to be perfect, and it doesn’t fit any “industry standard template”. So, I’ve given myself the permission and space to immortalize these memories there.

I also recorded each chapter using nothing but my voice, a cheap microphone, and the free program Audacity.

Why Substack

Despite WP showing that I have over 1k subscribers, and that I’ve been on the platform for 10 years, readership has dried up. WP really does feel like, Where did all the creatives go? In its heyday, I’d have a deep comments section and plenty of interesting bloggers in my readers. There was discoverability, too.

1. Substack is where the writers went and big names–to my surprise–have arrived there, too. Author Cheryl Strayed commented on one of my essays on Oldster, and having my work recognized and published by author and Longreads editor Sari Botton was a pretty awesome.
2. In addition, you can get paid for your work. Auh-mazing. I wish I had believed in myself sooner.
3. I don’t have to use another site for audios or videos. You can upload directly on Substack. For years, I had to use Soundcloud as a third party software to get my recordings on WP.
4. This is a more controversial point, but Substack has created Notes, essentially a Twitter-like social media where you can reshare other people’s work, your own, post photos, etc. I’ve even posted short videos from school.
5. Lastly, I’ve found a new audience. I grew my audience. Nothing to brag about, but I’m pleased with the wonderful writers I’ve met there. They’ve been so supportive, and they’ve let me know that what I’m doing resonates.

Depending on the month, I post once a week. I also continued my newsletter and took time off, as well, since life gets in the way of writing schedules. And I’d do it again. I’ve got some ideas tumbling around and I’m looking forward to continuing on the platform.

Are you on Substack?