“Write All Along” is where I share creative nonfiction essays through the lens of my life’s kaleidoscope: a single woman without kids, a sexual assault survivor, a feminist, an educator, and most of all, a tender-hearted weirdo. It is a narrative-driven excavation of the make-or-break moments and relationships.
Over time, it has turned into its own little sitcom, with interconnected stories and recurring characters. But it’s worth noting that it hasn’t always been this way around here, and the archive is a story in itself.
I started “Write All Along” in the wake of an excruciating heartbreak back in the spring of 2021, while I was simultaneously finishing up a Master of Arts in English at Seton Hall University. I was holding tight to some words from Joan Baez, “action is the antidote to despair,” when I got to work on my Substack; I was inspired to focus on challenges and triumphs within personal and professional relationships.
At the time, I subscribed to a lot of marketing and business newsletters, and they constantly emphasized the need to solve a problem in order to gain traction. And while that makes sense for marketers, I conflated my desire to share stories with a goal of selling something; what resulted was a newsletter that sought to prescribe—to help. I thought that I needed to provide solutions to get people to read, and to stay.
The trouble started as I kept writing and found that I couldn’t always tie it up with a bow. And if I didn’t have a solution, what good is it to anyone?
So the goal has shifted to no goal at all, other than to write essays. And hopefully entertain you enough to stick around.
In my earlier posts, you’ll find a writer who wants to help you get you from point A to point B. In my more recent writing, you’ll notice a shift that is less concerned with the remedy and more focused on the joy of telling the story. Occasionally, I’ll post a video discussing the craft of writing.
“Write All Along” has evolved into a place where I am deepening my practice of creative nonfiction essay writing. Maybe you’ll enjoy it because you see yourself in it; maybe you’ll enjoy it because you’re glad that you don’t. Either way, I’m happy to have you.
Here’s a roundup of some of my most popular posts, both old (prescriptive) and new (narrative):
Newer…
Revenge Sax Part III: There Is Something You Don’t Know
Revenge Sax Part II: When the Past Comes Calling
Revenge Sax Part I: I’d Rather Die Alone
Older…
The Genius of Pain: Letting Go of Rotten Relationships
Breaking Up (with Friends) Is Hard to Do
How to Protect Yourself in a Toxic Workplace
So…who am I?
I’m Brittany Temple. I’m an English professor who teaches students how to become stronger writers and apply critical thought to literature and media. I also have more than a decade of experience in radio & podcast production for companies like CBS Radio, SiriusXM, and the MLB Network.
Why I Named It “Write All Along”
A dear friend gave me the mug pictured below, with the absolute intention of being snarky. I’ll admit, it is fitting, because I’ve been known to yammer on about something I saw or read or heard. I know she was (lovingly) calling me a know-it-all, but…
…I started thinking about being “right all along” in a different way. Not in that, I-want-to-correct-your-grammar-or-play-contrarian kind of way… but in the way that, sometimes, what you know in your gut, what you’ve “known all along,” is actually the answer you’ve been looking for. A lot of what I plan to share here will come back to a theme of trusting yourself. And since I’ll be writing about it…well, you get the picture.
And coincidentally, it’s also a nod to a song by one of my favorite bands, 311. I’ll leave you with some words from that song, “Strong All Along”:
“Do what you feel, the more absurd the better
Don't be afraid, whatever you got, show
Flaunt your personality, let me know your style
You could make a mean hand out of what you been dealt”
Thanks for reading, I’m glad you’re here.
If you’d like to get in touch with me, send me an email at btemp8@gmail.com
