Chapter 23 by James Garside

James Garside
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A regular series of irregular thoughts. Could be anything. Mostly rants. Warning: May contain traces of sarcasm. Chapter 23 is a multimedia project by James Garside. Journalist, Author, Writer. Part-time vagabond, full-time grumpy arse. Would you care for a cup of tea? I write about everything from art, culture, and politics to tech, travel, and the occult. Sometimes in ways that get me into trouble. I'm also funny — I probably should've led with that. I help writers and artists to do their best work. Let's be part of each other's stories. More at: jamesgarside.net jamesgarside.substack.com

  1. EP0017 The Post-it Notes of a Non-writing Writer (Reading) - Chapter 23 by James Garside

    3d ago

    EP0017 The Post-it Notes of a Non-writing Writer (Reading) - Chapter 23 by James Garside

    Deranged monkeys, shiny things, and the madness of writers not writing “A non-writing writer is, in fact, a monster courting insanity.” — Franz Kafka There’s a specific misery of wanting to write and not writing. What that does to a writer. If you know, you know. If you don’t, you will. Kafka said it better than I ever could. I only quoted him so that you’d keep reading. This is a handful of fragments. Post-it notes from inside my head. It isn’t a polished piece. That’s sort of the point. What do you mean lazy? I’m not lazy. I’m efficient. There’s also a monkey. Did I mention the monkey? Look at the monkey! This episode is brought to you by: Nobody. Links: Original: The Post-it Notes of a Non-writing Writer Substack: jamesgarside.substack.com Medium: medium.com/@jamesgarside_ Youtube: www.youtube.com/@jamesgarside Web: jamesgarside.net Chapter 23 by James Garside. A regular series of irregular thoughts. Could be anything. Mostly rants. Warning: May contain traces of sarcasm. Chapter 23 is a multimedia project by James Garside. Journalist, Author, Writer. Part-time vagabond, full-time grumpy arse. Would you care for a cup of tea? I write about everything from art, culture, and politics to tech, travel, and the occult. Sometimes in ways that get me into trouble. I’m also funny — I probably should’ve led with that. I help writers and artists to do their best work. Let’s be part of each other’s stories. More at: jamesgarside.net Get full access to Chapter 23 by James Garside at jamesgarside.substack.com/subscribe

    4 min
  2. EP0016 If I Wasn’t a Fraud or Afraid (Reading) - Chapter 23 by James Garside

    Jun 15

    EP0016 If I Wasn’t a Fraud or Afraid (Reading) - Chapter 23 by James Garside

    The wish list I wish I didn’t need to write “I’d gladly trade a long life for a life well lived.” — James Garside Fear is the only thing standing between you and the life you want. Hesitation in the gap between knowing what you want and having the nerve to go after it. This is a list post. Which I hate. Ok it’s less a list and more a confession with line breaks. I mean that in a good way. Written years ago. Back when the gap between who I was and who I wanted to be was so wide you could lose a horse in it. Several horses even. So it could just as easily have been last Tuesday. What would you do if you weren’t a fraud or afraid? Spoiler alert: In my case quite a lot. Apparently. Including moving to Japan, paying my taxes, and brushing my teeth twice a day. Some of these things have happened. Some of them haven’t yet. I’ll leave you to work out which is which. If you’ve ever made a list of excuses instead of actually doing the thing then this one’s for you. This episode is brought to you by: Nobody. Links: Original: If I Wasn’t a Fraud or Afraid Substack: jamesgarside.substack.com Medium: medium.com/@jamesgarside_ Youtube: www.youtube.com/@jamesgarside Web: jamesgarside.net Chapter 23 by James Garside. A regular series of irregular thoughts. Could be anything. Mostly rants. Warning: May contain traces of sarcasm. Chapter 23 is a multimedia project by James Garside. Journalist, Author, Writer. Part-time vagabond, full-time grumpy arse. Would you care for a cup of tea? I write about everything from art, culture, and politics to tech, travel, and the occult. Sometimes in ways that get me into trouble. I’m also funny — I probably should’ve led with that. I help writers and artists to do their best work. Let’s be part of each other’s stories. More at: jamesgarside.net Get full access to Chapter 23 by James Garside at jamesgarside.substack.com/subscribe

    4 min
  3. EP0015 Writer’s Notebook: Read Once and Destroy! (Reading) — Chapter 23 by James Garside

    Jun 3

    EP0015 Writer’s Notebook: Read Once and Destroy! (Reading) — Chapter 23 by James Garside

    Raw drafts and the fear of people reading them “Typing up old notebooks is a bit like injecting heroin into your eyeball — addictive, painful, and not very good for your eyes. Fun though!” — James Garside This was a list post. Back when I laboured under the false assumption that Medium was like a blog and that people read my work. It’s about as much fun as it sounds. It wasn’t worth writing. It isn’t worth reading. I don’t even recommend listening to it now. But I’ve committed to reading everything that I published on Medium out loud at least once. If only to train the software before I’m cloned by AI and can go live on a beach somewhere whilst the robots write for me. This piece is about the terror and strange joy of revisiting old notebooks. Or it would be if it was an actual piece and not a list post. Highlights include don’t be silly there are no highlights. Writing is hard. This is what I’m saying. This episode is brought to you by: Nobody. Links: Original: Writer’s Notebook: Read Once and Destroy! Substack: jamesgarside.substack.com Medium: medium.com/@jamesgarside_ Youtube: www.youtube.com/@jamesgarside Web: jamesgarside.net Chapter 23 by James Garside. A regular series of irregular thoughts. Could be anything. Mostly rants. Warning: May contain traces of sarcasm. Chapter 23 is a multimedia project by James Garside. Journalist, Author, Writer. Part-time vagabond, full-time grumpy arse. Would you care for a cup of tea? I write about everything from art, culture, and politics to tech, travel, and the occult. Sometimes in ways that get me into trouble. I’m also funny — I probably should’ve led with that. I help writers and artists to do their best work. Let’s be part of each other’s stories. More at: jamesgarside.net Get full access to Chapter 23 by James Garside at jamesgarside.substack.com/subscribe

    2 min
  4. EP0014 R.I.P Graffiti Living (Reading) - Chapter 23 by James Garside

    Apr 22

    EP0014 R.I.P Graffiti Living (Reading) - Chapter 23 by James Garside

    There's gold in them there hills “Then I read my blog and realised that most of it was shit. Luckily, I have no shame.” — James Garside This episode is the sign-off for the original home of my writing on the net. It’s a self-deprecating bumper index of every post I ever wrote there — prefaced with the admission that most of it was shit. The definitive guide to the archives of my old blog. Dead but dreaming — and still out there on WordPress if you know where to look. The original post is organised by theme with links to everything worth reading and some stuff that isn’t. Dirty tricks for writers, notes from the trenches, photos of Japan. All that good stuff. This episode is brought to you by: Nobody. Links: Original: medium.com/graffitiliving/r-i-p-graffiti-living-1d47a989f835?sk=7388eb2afe3e22fc0a5b5f8b9ad87c49 Substack: jamesgarside.substack.com Medium: medium.com/@jamesgarside_ Youtube: www.youtube.com/@jamesgarside Web: jamesgarside.net Chapter 23 by James Garside. A regular series of irregular thoughts. Could be anything. Mostly rants. Warning: May contain traces of sarcasm. Chapter 23 is a multimedia project by James Garside. Journalist, Author, Writer. Part-time vagabond, full-time grumpy arse. Would you care for a cup of tea? I write about everything from art, culture, and politics to tech, travel, and the occult. Sometimes in ways that get me into trouble. I’m also funny — I probably should’ve led with that. I help writers and artists to do their best work. Let’s be part of each other’s stories. More at: jamesgarside.net Get full access to Chapter 23 by James Garside at jamesgarside.substack.com/subscribe

    6 min
  5. EP0013 Notes from the Trenches - Ask Me Anything (Reading) - Chapter 23 by James Garside

    Apr 15

    EP0013 Notes from the Trenches - Ask Me Anything (Reading) - Chapter 23 by James Garside

    An open invite to ask me anything (preferably about writing) “Ask me anything. Over to you.” — James Garside Back when the internet was a much friendlier place I put out an open invite to ask me anything. It went better than you might expect. This episode is proof that sometimes the best way to figure out what to write next is to chat with your friends. I returned to my blog after a hiatus and threw open the doors to questions about writing and whatever else people wanted to know. What do you mean I was out of ideas and hoped that my audience would do the work for me? For the record, people asked lots of smart, witty, intelligent questions. It was a happier time. The internet is a trash fire now, and my days of being chatty are long gone, but for the handful of people who still care there’s an easy way to get hold of me. I don’t have all the answers but I do have lots of half-arsed opinions and that’s almost the same thing. Want to chat? Buy me a coffee and you can ask me anything: buymeacoffee.com/jamesgarside This episode is brought to you by: Nobody. Links: Original: medium.com/graffitiliving/notes-from-the-trenches-ask-me-anything-2fece9e3c165?sk=f1a5ef27435ba49bab888eb7608ba6c9 Substack: jamesgarside.substack.com Medium: medium.com/@jamesgarside_ Youtube: www.youtube.com/@jamesgarside Buy Me A Coffee: buymeacoffee.com/jamesgarside Web: jamesgarside.net Chapter 23 by James Garside. A regular series of irregular thoughts. Could be anything. Mostly rants. Warning: May contain traces of sarcasm. Chapter 23 is a multimedia project by James Garside. Journalist, Author, Writer. Part-time vagabond, full-time grumpy arse. Would you care for a cup of tea? I write about everything from art, culture, and politics to tech, travel, and the occult. Sometimes in ways that get me into trouble. I’m also funny — I probably should’ve led with that. I help writers and artists to do their best work. Let’s be part of each other’s stories. More at: jamesgarside.net Get full access to Chapter 23 by James Garside at jamesgarside.substack.com/subscribe

    2 min
  6. EP0012 Notes from the Trenches - Don’t Break the Chain (Reading) - Chapter 23 by James Garside

    Apr 8

    EP0012 Notes from the Trenches - Don’t Break the Chain (Reading) - Chapter 23 by James Garside

    Jerry Seinfeld’s productivity secret and why it works even for lazy writers like me “A little stubbornness goes a long way, but I wish that I had more.” — James Garside Consistency is more important than inspiration. This episode is short and sweet. It sings the praises of Jerry Seinfeld’s “Don’t Break the Chain” productivity method. It’s genius in its simplicity. It works — even when you don’t. It also features virtual hugs, sexy wall calendars, and stubborn goat energy. Metaphorically I mean. This episode is brought to you by: Nobody. Links: Original: medium.com/graffitiliving/notes-from-the-trenches-dont-break-the-chain-5fcc14c27642?sk=d5261a0b5241b8096c0cbc4f875e3e92 Substack: jamesgarside.substack.com Medium: medium.com/@jamesgarside_ Youtube: www.youtube.com/@jamesgarside Web: jamesgarside.net Chapter 23 by James Garside. A regular series of irregular thoughts. Could be anything. Mostly rants. Warning: May contain traces of sarcasm. Chapter 23 is a multimedia project by James Garside. Journalist, Author, Writer. Part-time vagabond, full-time grumpy arse. Would you care for a cup of tea? I write about everything from art, culture, and politics to tech, travel, and the occult. Sometimes in ways that get me into trouble. I’m also funny — I probably should’ve led with that. I help writers and artists to do their best work. Let’s be part of each other’s stories. More at: jamesgarside.net Get full access to Chapter 23 by James Garside at jamesgarside.substack.com/subscribe

    6 min
  7. EP0011 Notes from the Trenches - Unfriendified Flying Pig Poo (Reading) - Chapter 23 by James Garside

    Apr 1

    EP0011 Notes from the Trenches - Unfriendified Flying Pig Poo (Reading) - Chapter 23 by James Garside

    How to lose friends and offend lovely writers who are also keen gardeners “If it’s funny in your head, that’s probably the best place to keep it.” — James Garside Back in the day I was unfriended on social media for defending NaNoWriMo by a published writer I admired. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it. It had nothing to do with me being rude about their shed. Nothing at all. You’d be a liar and a Communist for suggesting otherwise. This episode is a light-hearted cautionary tale about how jokes can backfire. I was trying to be witty and start a debate. I failed spectacularly. It was a long time ago, for what it’s worth, and I still love the writer who I didn’t offend nearly as much as I made out. To be clear: I’m the villain here. This episode is brought to you by: Nobody. Links: Original: medium.com/graffitiliving/notes-from-the-trenches-unfriendified-flying-pig-poo-45114d78f592?sk=43325465dfdd736185cb5fcfcdf62a75 Substack: jamesgarside.substack.com Medium: medium.com/@jamesgarside_ Youtube: www.youtube.com/@jamesgarside Web: jamesgarside.net Chapter 23 by James Garside. A regular series of irregular thoughts. Could be anything. Mostly rants. Warning: May contain traces of sarcasm. Chapter 23 is a multimedia project by James Garside. Journalist, Author, Writer. Part-time vagabond, full-time grumpy arse. Would you care for a cup of tea? I write about everything from art, culture, and politics to tech, travel, and the occult. Sometimes in ways that get me into trouble. I’m also funny — I probably should’ve led with that. I help writers and artists to do their best work. Let’s be part of each other’s stories. More at: jamesgarside.net Get full access to Chapter 23 by James Garside at jamesgarside.substack.com/subscribe

    4 min
  8. EP0010 Notes from the Trenches - Nano Why Mo (Reading) - Chapter 23 by James Garside

    Mar 25

    EP0010 Notes from the Trenches - Nano Why Mo (Reading) - Chapter 23 by James Garside

    In defense of NaNoWriMo and writing badly “The biggest obstacle to writing well isn’t a lack of talent, it’s a fear of ‘writing badly’ so crippling that you don’t write at all.” — James Garside Does anyone remember when NaNoWrimo was a thing and also fun? That’s when I wrote this. Good times. This episode is a gentle well-intentioned rant about professional writers who shit on NaNoWriMo participants. It’s a dispatch from the front lines of the madness. Why do it, why it’s worth it, and why it’s mostly harmless. Fear of failure is worse than actual failure. Anything that gets people writing and having fun has got to be a good thing. Fight me if you disagree. ‘Elitist snob who hates fun’ isn’t a good look for you. This episode is brought to you by: Nobody. Links: Original: medium.com/graffitiliving/notes-from-the-trenches-nano-why-mo-8b2855d924a7?sk=ebe46dd6a6a0eb098e333d6fb86b8c84 Substack: jamesgarside.substack.com Medium: medium.com/@jamesgarside_ Youtube: www.youtube.com/@jamesgarside Web: jamesgarside.net Chapter 23 by James Garside. A regular series of irregular thoughts. Could be anything. Mostly rants. Warning: May contain traces of sarcasm. Chapter 23 is a multimedia project by James Garside. Journalist, Author, Writer. Part-time vagabond, full-time grumpy arse. Would you care for a cup of tea? I write about everything from art, culture, and politics to tech, travel, and the occult. Sometimes in ways that get me into trouble. I’m also funny — I probably should’ve led with that. I help writers and artists to do their best work. Let’s be part of each other’s stories. More at: jamesgarside.net Get full access to Chapter 23 by James Garside at jamesgarside.substack.com/subscribe

    4 min
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A regular series of irregular thoughts. Could be anything. Mostly rants. Warning: May contain traces of sarcasm. Chapter 23 is a multimedia project by James Garside. Journalist, Author, Writer. Part-time vagabond, full-time grumpy arse. Would you care for a cup of tea? I write about everything from art, culture, and politics to tech, travel, and the occult. Sometimes in ways that get me into trouble. I'm also funny — I probably should've led with that. I help writers and artists to do their best work. Let's be part of each other's stories. More at: jamesgarside.net jamesgarside.substack.com

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