Thank you so much for writing this. Fifty-seven days of thoughts and words were distilled into one of the best Substack posts I've read on any Substack so far!
This article is genuinely incredible. I have been writing for 11 months, and working so hard to nail down my message, voice & angle. It's been confusing and I've felt so stuck and lost - then I found this article and the exercises and tips are EXACTLY what I needed. And btw I have tried MANY paid courses (substack specific, and also marie forleo type courses) and no one is saying what you are saying, the way you are saying it. Thank you for making this so clear, effective, and helpful.
Thank you for all this information Alice! I really love this series and how you've articulated all of this in such detail. Can't wait to read the next and (sadly) the last part of the series!
Zoë! Thank you so so much. Not to fear—these six pieces will likely be the foundations but would love to keep it going and interview people who have gravity and their tactics. More incoming! Thanks so much again for reading!
Thanks for sharing your detailed and thoughtful perspective. It’s nice to hear that others take weeks to write some pieces too. Plus, the Dopamine Dungeon is gold.
Loved this post, Alice! I especially relate to the part about slipping into the Dopamine Dungeon. Ugh. And so true; touching grass helped me get some clarity back.
Honestly the Dopamine Dungeon is a constant threat 🫠 I’ve deleted every social media app from my phone (minus Substack) to try and curb it…it’s so dang hard!
Alice, this piece was excellent. I say this in the most objective way possible. It was worth the pain and the wait.
I can see why this would be so hard to write about since it has layers upon layers, but what I take away from this more than the tactical lesson is clarity.
There is a map. It's not a perfect fit, because that doesn't exist, but it is directionally helpful enough to take action. Action is all there is. This is what I think your piece enables without being overly prescriptive.
Kudos. I'm proud to know you and to have learned from you.
Thank you so much Camilo. (I literally want to frame this comment for when I’m feeling creatively down—it’s that wonderful). Really appreciate you and am lucky to know you!!
This is a straight up gold mine for anyone that’s serious about growing. Thank you so much for putting time and energy into creating such a valuable piece of content!
Such an amazing read filled with knowledge and inspiration. I just started on Substack and no where near those numbers but gave me good insights to why I gravitate towards certain people and their writing.
I love your concept of “creator gravity” and how you’ve framed it around clarity, consistency, and connection. What struck me most was the emphasis on creating from a place of personal alignment rather than chasing metrics.
In my work with entrepreneurs, I’ve found that this alignment is often an emotional regulation challenge more than a tactical one. When we’re regulated, our content naturally pulls others in because it comes from an authentic center rather than a reactive space.
Your point about developing a clear perspective particularly resonates - it’s that quiet confidence that emerges when we’re no longer fighting internal resistance. Thanks for articulating this so beautifully.
the frameworks you have in this post are great, it helped me name what i exactly do in my substack. i love memoir and i write it through my physician lens.
what ill be working on based off this post: connecting with others, building new terms! and trying not to be algorithmic birdfeed :)
Quick question: I write on how to apply ancient Indic wisdom today, making it relevant for us now to build better character and resilience. But I’m struggling to find a tangible enemy. The reason I started writing was that I came across these principles at a time when I was tired of dating apps and an overall apathy towards life.
But how do I find an enemy that resonates with my audience. On Reddit everyone says “I procrastinate,” “I don’t feel like doing anything,” “I’m wasting my life,’ etc. But they sound vague.
Hi Vishal! The first step here would likely be for you to better connect the outcome, enemy, and origin story. Right now, I see:
Outcome: Build better character. (Side note: This is a bit vague! We could probably make it more concise.)
Enemy: Procrastination/Laziness/Apathy
Origin Story: Felt genuinely uninspired and tired of superficial dating platforms.
At first glance, I struggle to see how these all connect together. Ask yourself...how did reaching that low point drive you to change? What was the change you sought? Once you found the answer, did it light a fire in you to spread that solution with others, so they wouldn't have to suffer the way you did?
Finding an enemy takes time. I'm still figuring out my own. But keep testing it with your audience, and talk aloud to people IRL too. If their eyes light up and they lean in, you're onto something.
Thank you so much for writing this. Fifty-seven days of thoughts and words were distilled into one of the best Substack posts I've read on any Substack so far!
This is so kind. Thank you for reading, Matt!!
This article is genuinely incredible. I have been writing for 11 months, and working so hard to nail down my message, voice & angle. It's been confusing and I've felt so stuck and lost - then I found this article and the exercises and tips are EXACTLY what I needed. And btw I have tried MANY paid courses (substack specific, and also marie forleo type courses) and no one is saying what you are saying, the way you are saying it. Thank you for making this so clear, effective, and helpful.
🥲 Thank you so much Jessie. I’m so happy it resonated with you—that’s exactly what the goal was! Glad to know those 57 days were worth it 🥹
This shit had me whipping out a real bonafide notebook to write things down. Thanks for this, dude. It's time well spent.
Thank you so so much
Thank you for all this information Alice! I really love this series and how you've articulated all of this in such detail. Can't wait to read the next and (sadly) the last part of the series!
Zoë! Thank you so so much. Not to fear—these six pieces will likely be the foundations but would love to keep it going and interview people who have gravity and their tactics. More incoming! Thanks so much again for reading!
Thanks for sharing your detailed and thoughtful perspective. It’s nice to hear that others take weeks to write some pieces too. Plus, the Dopamine Dungeon is gold.
Thank you so much for reading Bud! Glad to hear the Dopamine Dungeon resonated with you!
Loved this post, Alice! I especially relate to the part about slipping into the Dopamine Dungeon. Ugh. And so true; touching grass helped me get some clarity back.
Honestly the Dopamine Dungeon is a constant threat 🫠 I’ve deleted every social media app from my phone (minus Substack) to try and curb it…it’s so dang hard!
57 days! I am amazed at your persistence and commitment. It shows ❤️
Thank you so much Abbey!
Thanks for this Alice
Thank you for reading Harrison!
Alice, this piece was excellent. I say this in the most objective way possible. It was worth the pain and the wait.
I can see why this would be so hard to write about since it has layers upon layers, but what I take away from this more than the tactical lesson is clarity.
There is a map. It's not a perfect fit, because that doesn't exist, but it is directionally helpful enough to take action. Action is all there is. This is what I think your piece enables without being overly prescriptive.
Kudos. I'm proud to know you and to have learned from you.
Thank you so much Camilo. (I literally want to frame this comment for when I’m feeling creatively down—it’s that wonderful). Really appreciate you and am lucky to know you!!
This is a straight up gold mine for anyone that’s serious about growing. Thank you so much for putting time and energy into creating such a valuable piece of content!
Thank you so much Krissy! Appreciate you :)
Such an amazing read filled with knowledge and inspiration. I just started on Substack and no where near those numbers but gave me good insights to why I gravitate towards certain people and their writing.
So happy you found this useful Karolina!
I love your concept of “creator gravity” and how you’ve framed it around clarity, consistency, and connection. What struck me most was the emphasis on creating from a place of personal alignment rather than chasing metrics.
In my work with entrepreneurs, I’ve found that this alignment is often an emotional regulation challenge more than a tactical one. When we’re regulated, our content naturally pulls others in because it comes from an authentic center rather than a reactive space.
Your point about developing a clear perspective particularly resonates - it’s that quiet confidence that emerges when we’re no longer fighting internal resistance. Thanks for articulating this so beautifully.
the frameworks you have in this post are great, it helped me name what i exactly do in my substack. i love memoir and i write it through my physician lens.
what ill be working on based off this post: connecting with others, building new terms! and trying not to be algorithmic birdfeed :)
Yet another stellar post, Aah-leece!
Quick question: I write on how to apply ancient Indic wisdom today, making it relevant for us now to build better character and resilience. But I’m struggling to find a tangible enemy. The reason I started writing was that I came across these principles at a time when I was tired of dating apps and an overall apathy towards life.
But how do I find an enemy that resonates with my audience. On Reddit everyone says “I procrastinate,” “I don’t feel like doing anything,” “I’m wasting my life,’ etc. But they sound vague.
Hi Vishal! The first step here would likely be for you to better connect the outcome, enemy, and origin story. Right now, I see:
Outcome: Build better character. (Side note: This is a bit vague! We could probably make it more concise.)
Enemy: Procrastination/Laziness/Apathy
Origin Story: Felt genuinely uninspired and tired of superficial dating platforms.
At first glance, I struggle to see how these all connect together. Ask yourself...how did reaching that low point drive you to change? What was the change you sought? Once you found the answer, did it light a fire in you to spread that solution with others, so they wouldn't have to suffer the way you did?
Finding an enemy takes time. I'm still figuring out my own. But keep testing it with your audience, and talk aloud to people IRL too. If their eyes light up and they lean in, you're onto something.
Awesome! Thanks Alice!