Are You There Substack? It's me, Bradley
I Have No Idea What I'm Doing
Greetings, Substack! My name is Bradley Ramsey, and I was put on this Earth to write stories. You’re probably wondering why I decided to start publishing on Substack…
Oh, you’re actually curious?
Okay, well, the short answer is that I’ve chosen this place as yet another corner of the void to scream into, in the hopes that one day the void actually answers my calls.
I’m kidding, sort of.
Here’s the long answer:
It All Started with a Story…
Eons ago, when I was in second grade, I entered a creative writing contest. I barely recall the story I wrote.
All I remember is something about Mars, water, and using a velcro-like technology to transport the water off the planet.
Riveting, I know, but wouldn’t you know, that story took home third place!
And that’s when I knew I wanted to be a writer. I spent the rest of my elementary, middle, and high school education writing stories every chance I got.
Sometimes they lived in composition books (raise your hand if you remember those), and then they graduated to my parent’s Macintosh computer (yes, before they were called Macs).
I went to college, majored in English, and worked as a manager for GameStop for almost ten years, but one thing never changed:
I still wanted to be a writer.
Fast-forward to 2025, and these days I work as a Content Marketing Manager for a tech company. I get to write for a living, and I get to do it every day. I love my job, truly, but before I shed the mortal coil, I need to become a published author.
That’s been my lifelong dream, and I’m not giving up any time soon.
Thanks for the Life Story, Riveting Stuff. Why are you Here?
You’ll find that my headers can be a little snarky. Don’t worry, it’s all in good fun (I think). In any case, I’m heading into 2025 with some pretty clear goals, and I’d like to use Substack as a place to chronicle the journey.
Not only that, but I’d like to post some original fiction here like short stories, poetry, and maybe even start up a series here on Substack.
So, what can you expect if you decide to subscribe? Here’s some examples:
Updates on my various projects
New and exclusive fiction and poetry here on Substack
Links to my other works
Articles on writing and my advice for other writers
A monthly email newsletter
What I’m Working on in 2025 (Besides Substack)
In the interest of not letting this introductory post go on too long, I’ll wrap things up with a little preview of my creative projects that you’ll hear about this year, in addition to some of the things above, here’s what I’m tracking:
1) The Chronicles of Clenchport
First up, we’ve got an animated series that I’m writing (and performing in) with a team of incredible animators, artists, and voice actors.
The Chronicles of Clenchport is an upcoming horror-comedy series set in the town of Clenchport, VA, which is known for being one of the smallest towns in America.
It’s a town full of strange characters with an even stranger history. On the surface, it doesn’t look like much, but peek beneath the curtain, and you’ll find that this place holds both horrors and wonders beyond your comprehension.
In addition to being an animated series, The Chronicles of Clenchport universe also exists across several short stories I’ve written, as well as an upcoming narrative podcast.
My dream is to create a connected universe across multiple types of media, one where you can dive as deep as you’d like into this strange town and its weird denizens.
I’ll have more to share soon, but in the meantime, you can follow us on Twitter (I’m not calling it X), BlueSky, or Threads to stay up to date.
2) Vocal Short Stories
Next up is my short stories and poetry on Vocal. I first discovered this site about three years ago when a colleague of mine told me they have fiction challenges with cash prizes.
I thought it could be a great way to experiment with new worlds and ideas while also using the challenges as a way to inspire even more creativity.
Needless to say, I loved it. The site has a feel like Medium but with a larger focus on fiction, poetry, and the like.
As of 2025, I’ve published 70 different short stories and poems on Vocal, and I don’t plan on stopping anytime soon.
The community is wonderful, and several of my stories have been given Top Story awards (my last Top Story was on January 1st of this year!).
Moving forward, I plan to continue publishing on Vocal, but I’ll also produce some exclusive stories here on Substack, so everyone wins!
Check out my Vocal profile if you’re curious, all of my stories are free to read.
3) My Debut Novel
This is the big one. Since second grade, I’ve dreamt of becoming a published author.
While I have worked with some small publishers in the past and did a spot of self-publishing, my ultimate goal is to enter the query trenches, find and agent, and buy a copy of my book from Barnes and Noble.
To that end, I’ve been working on a cosmic horror novel for the last few years, and as of now the draft is just over 30K words. This year, I’m going to finish it.
The title is “For Those About to Vote…” and it’s the first book in the “Shattered Star Trilogy.”
It follows six different characters in the near future as they try to survive in a world that’s falling apart due to the spread of an alien parasite released from the destruction of an asteroid that would have otherwise wiped us out.
Talk about a rock and a hard place, am I right?
Those who are infected are taken to quarantine zones, but even those are reaching their limit.
Once you’re infected, it’s only a matter of time before you mutate into an eldritch horror designed to spread the infection.
The worst part?
No one knows when it will happen. You become a ticking time bomb.
The book begins as the United States Congress announces an upcoming vote to decide on the fate of the millions of people in the quarantine zones.
They’ve got a few approaches, but none of them are ideal.
Meanwhile, an ancient cult lurks in the shadows, one that has been awaiting the arrival of this asteroid for thousands of years.
I plan to post updates on the book, and even some excerpts, here on Substack, so stay tuned!
4) Gaming News and Reviews
Remember back when I said I didn’t want this to be super long? Simpler times.
Last thing, I promise. Beyond all of this, I actually own a PS5 website where I publish articles and reviews. It needs a design refresh, and I haven’t been able to publish on there as much as I would like, but I am proud of the work I’ve done there.
If You Made It This Far, You’re a Real One
This brings us to the end of my very long introductory post on Substack. Honestly, it’s been a while since I’ve let myself just open up and share what I’m working on. It’s pretty nice.
As the header says, if you made it this far, you’re a real one, and I appreciate you. Go ahead and subscribe if you’d like to join me on this journey, but in the meantime stay safe, be true, and whatever you do, don’t stop being you.
- Bradley