Looking Back and Looking Forward

I'm taking January off, but don't panic.

Photo by Efe Kurnaz on Unsplash

I don't think I need to recap the past year. We were all here; we experienced it. In terms of this newsletter, I accomplished what I set out to do. Today's missive is number 42 out of 42 planned posts, and I'm especially proud of all the crazy Spooky Season posts from October. I also had decent growth in subscriber numbers in 2023. Although I still have fewer than 100 subs (and I honestly appreciate every one of you), I grew by about 50% this year. I never expected that!

It hasn't been a terrible year. That's a nice feeling. But some other stuff is going on behind the scenes.

Even after its problematic nature became more evident, I've justified my presence on Substack by reminding myself that I'm a freeloader here. I'm not charging my readers subscription fees, and I'm using the site and its tools for free. (I don't plan to charge in the future, either. If I ever earn any money from my writing, I doubt it will come in the form of monthly subscriber fees.) I'm a useless barnacle on the side of Substack's big capitalist ship, using its resources without giving much of anything back. And yet…

Substack has some serious issues, and I don't know if I'll continue to use the service going forward.

Don't panic! I'm not going to disappear. Bombastic Frippery may relocate, but the same blather you've come to know and love will still land in your inboxes in 2024. However, I'm going to take off the entire month of January. It's my busiest month of the year (regarding my day job), so it's a natural time to take a hiatus. I'll take that month to evaluate my choices and make a plan for Bombastic Frippery for next year.

In other news, I have a new endeavor in the works that you'll hear all about when the time comes. That Secret Project I've been hinting at for a long time? It's finally happening! It's not a novel, so don't get too excited. Or go ahead and get super excited! I'm not in charge of your enthusiasm. Feel that exuberance! It's the champagne of emotions.

Anyway, thanks for a lovely year. One way or another, you'll hear from me in February. Talk to you then!

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