On Margins and Notes

What to expect from this newsletter and a peek into who I am!

I’ve always loved beginnings.

The opening chapter. Breakfast. Lead singles for a new album. A new class or semester. Waiting in the wings.

There is hesitancy in beginnings, a quiet space before everything kicks off. It’s a breath, a pulse of uncertainty, a pause, and then a jump.

Today, and going forward, I invite you all to join me while I dive into the page. This newsletter will explore the margins – and topics on the margins. This space will be one of exploration and authenticity, and a way to shine the morning light onto writers, themes, and diverse ideas I deeply care about.

My goal is for this Substack to feel fully realized, fully authentic, and fully me. Consider this a space where marginal notes and annotations are not just welcome, but expected. Pull up a chair, turn on a reading light, and let’s begin.

A Tale of Many Hats

All my life, I have been a biiittt all over the place. And it’s no different now! Which bleeds into this newsletter! You’ll find me here wearing many hats — writer, Acquisitions Editor, teacher, mentor, and reader. My various roles aren’t separate lives; they feed into one another pretty organically. Editing has taught me to unearth the bones of a story, teaching has allowed me to guide other writers to discovery, and writing itself helps keep my heart grounded. All of these facets of myself inform how I see and interact with the world.

If you’re someone who holds more than one identity, passion, or calling — welcome in. This space is truly and honestly designed for you. I’m still determining exactly what it will be, and I am excited to discover it with you!

What this Space Will Be

This newsletter itself is in the margins. It will be part craft, part writing, and all me! Overall, it is a space for thought and conversation, messy interpretations and annotations. It will focus on storytelling, craft, publishing, creativity, and amplification. My goal is to explore what lives between the lines, in the white space on a page.

What to expect:

• reflections on writing

• Craft essays

• What I am reading

• Insights from the editorial side of publishing

• Information on books I have acquired

• Insights into mentorship and what I am teaching

• Book release information (cover reveals, preorders, tours, etc)

• Conversations about what it feels like to live inside a creative world

• Occasional invitations to Ask Me Anything Sessions

I’m glad you’re here.

I hope this newsletter becomes a quiet companion — like a fresh-brewed latte on a cloudy morning, a lantern used to explore an abandoned house, a whispered conversation from a friend you haven’t seen in so long. I hope it feels sun-drenched, with light being shed on topics you didn’t know you wanted to explore. I hope it gives you something to think about, something to feel, and something to explore.

Let’s scribble in the margins together and share the notes we’ve taken.

Thank you for being here.

— Lauren T. Davila

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