To Tell a Story

To Tell a Story

Home
Notes
Author News
Archive
About
Most Popular
View all
Why do we shy away from aging (and a birthday wish)
Aging is a gift, in fiction and in life
 • Leah Rowan
Great idea, but can I pull it off?
No one will shoot a good idea down as hard as ourselves—so let's stop, shall we?
 • Leah Rowan
Winners and losers? When it comes to our writing, we only ever really know part of the story.
Why the narratives we tell ourself about our "failures" often don't match up with reality.
 • Leah Rowan
Why I'll always choose community building over mentorship
(Also eff AI all the way to you know where)
 • Leah Rowan
You have never had more writing knowledge than you do RIGHT NOW
Or why it's never too late to write the book of your heart
 • Leah Rowan
How to tell if someone's going to "make it"
And no, I will not be talking about "talent"
 • Leah Rowan
The hard truth is, there are no magic beans
Here's why "advice" from authors often leaves people wanting more
 • Leah Rowan
Here's how to reframe your (totally natural!) jealousy of someone's book deal
Plus I'll get real about my own advances (with math!)
 • Leah Rowan
You're probably starting your novel too early
And here's my hack to fix it
 • Leah Rowan
To Tell a Story
To Tell a Story
Welcome to Leah Rowan's Substack: Expect craft and storytelling talk, musings on what it means to be a writer, and the real-deal on the traditional publishing process. Join us!
Recommendations
View all 10
Alex Segura
Alex Segura
Alex Segura
Gabino’s Substack
Gabino’s Substack
Gabino Iglesias
Culture Trip
Culture Trip
Jennifer Keishin Armstrong
Only the Real Ones Know
Only the Real Ones Know
Natasha Díaz
Scatterwild
Scatterwild
Irina González, MSW Student

To Tell a Story

AboutArchiveRecommendationsSitemap
© 2026 Leah Rowan · Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start your SubstackGet the app
Substack is the home for great culture