The Writing Life The world of Substack: Eleanor Anstruther & Simon K Jones on serial fiction
Jun 16, 2025
Guest Eleanor Anstruther, author of thought-provoking novels like A Perfect Explanation, dives into her latest work, In Judgment of Others, a dark satire unraveling psychosis amid a theatrical backdrop. She and Simon K Jones explore the unique benefits of Substack for writers, emphasizing community-building and reader engagement. Their conversation touches on the craft of serialization, the balance of humor and empathy, and the evolution of indie publishing. Eleanor also shares her journey from manuscript rejections to finding validation through her Substack audience.
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Ensembles As Training Wheels
- Eleanor often writes ensemble casts as technical training and to give herself creative breaks.
- She sees ensembles as steps toward mastering a single-protagonist portrait novel.
Fill Out Offscreen Characters Privately
- Close third-person view centralises empathy while offscreen characters remain intentionally faded.
- Fill out offscreen figures privately so their small mentions feel real on the page.
From Rejection To Serial Success
- Eleanor submitted In Judgment Of Others after her debut but publishers rejected it as a genre jump.
- She later serialised and revised it on Substack, gained readers, and then released it independently.
