A Substack Series
It's time.
It's time for me to start a blog Substack series.
For quite awhile, it's been a dream in the back of my mind to host other writers' and artists' work on a blog or website. In fact, I've tried to do it before, but I didn't really have a goal or plan or umph for it (umph is important), and so I've failed. But, I figured now is a great time to get it started, for real, since I recently completed a course with one of the best series hosts ever, Becky Beresford, and also because I think the umph is here.
The series I'm starting is called Mind Stayed, and is a series of metaphors. One goal, and the main one at that, of this series is to focus on the many metaphors in life that point to Christ. Thus, each piece featured here will be a metaphor - whether it's a story, poem, or visual art piece - that points to Christ's personality and attributes, or our relationship with him.
Eventually, I am going to post some of my writer and artist friends' work here. But, to kick it off, I will be sharing some of my own pieces in order to set the standard for what I would like shared, and for what I would like to kind of happen in this space.
Another goal that I have with this series is to help readers read more of, and think more about, the Bible. Thus, along with each piece that is shared here, I will also post a little quiz that will help readers dig into the Bible a bit, test reader's knowledge of the Bible, and give readers a chance to share the mental connections they made as they read and thought about the metaphor.
Logistics
The majority of pieces I post here will be pieces from other writers and artists. Again, to start off with for the first month or so, I will post my own pieces. I will also post my own at times later, to fill in, if I don't have something from others. (If you are a writer or a visual artist and are interested in contributing a piece, please reach out to me by email: author@sarosaoyela.com .)
Every Tuesday I will post a new metaphor piece here, and also send it out to the email list for those who opt in. (If you would like to be added to the exclusive email list, you can sign up at this link. This list is ONLY for this series.) Then on Friday evenings, I will post the quiz here and to the email list as well.
I am posting the metaphor and the quiz on seperate days so that readers will have a chance to let the metaphor sink in, to maybe take some notes, and to do some Bible cross-referencing, before they take a stab at the quiz. Also, I like it if readers can allow their own thoughts, and the Holy Spirit within them, tell them what it means, before they see what it means from the author's or artist's perspective. Thus, the first question on every quiz will ask readers to share their own connections and thoughts.
Launch and Feedback
My plan is to launch this series at the beginning of May this year, 2023. From now until then, I want to get content ready, query writers and artists, and get the word out. Again, if you are interested in this series and would like to be notified by email of when the posts go live, sign up here. Also, if you know someone whom you think might enjoy this series, feel free to share with them directly. Or, feel free to share in general on social media.
In the mean time, I'd love to hear your feedback. If you have any thoughts, please post in the comments, send me an email at author@sarosaoyela.com, or send me a voice message on Voxer.
I am excited for this new endeavor, and I hope to meet you here with good words, art, and discussion in a couple months.
-Sara