Hello again.
It’s been almost a year since this Substack was active. I previously used it to repost my columns, parliamentary sketches, and other writings for the Scottish Daily Mail. Those are now available here instead (subscription required) — and also here sometimes (no subscription required).
For a while now, I’ve been wanting to revive this Substack as a place to publish original writing about politics, society, and ideas as well as movies, books, and music. Articles, reviews, and essays written specifically for this Substack and which haven’t previously been published elsewhere.
The problem is, I’m the world’s worst procrastinator and among the best when it comes to thinking up excuses for not trying something new. So, I just had a thought: if I send out an email saying I’m going to get this Substack back off the ground, then I won’t be able to put it off any longer.
I’m about five minutes away from pressing the big scary ‘send’ button, so now is the point where I ought to be explaining in detail what comes next.
Yeah… about that…
I have no blueprint, as such. My aim is to build this Substack gradually into a regular publication for my writing. Among the occasional strands I currently have in mind are Politics Notebook, with short, sharp analysis of current affairs, and Ticket Stubs, with reviews of new and not-so-new movies that have caught my attention.
Of course, that might all go out the window but, whatever happens, I’m going to push myself to write more often here.
Oh, and subscribing remains free. We might experiment with some pay-to-read articles down the line but let’s not get ahead of ourselves.
Yours in regretting-this-already,
Stephen
Hello Stephen, I came to your substack previously because you were one of the few journalists putting the SNP under scrutiny. I am pleased that you are considering a revival and look forward to seeing some pieces appear here in the future.
So here's a wee opinion, which even as I write, is not meant as a criticism or guilt trip, however your writing was one of the first reasons I joined Substack a year ago..
Subsequently, I made a budget to pay for some journalists- you can see whom from my profile & now read more here than newschannels such as the BBC.
I would welcome seeing your contributions once again and offer a salute to your triumphant return...at your discretion!