We become aware of the void as we fill it.
Writers & dangerous ideas wanted.
BY JON WESTENBERG
Writing, to me, is more than just throwing words at a blank page and seeing if they stick. It’s about communicating in a way that I know I will be understood, and listened to, and not dismissed.
As a child, and into my early teens, I struggled with a crushing speech problem. I had a lisp, and several severe tics, and I spoke so quickly and so badly that nobody could comprehend me. Over time, it only grew worse.
I can remember lying under my bed (a great place to hide) and crying, because people would make fun of how I spoke.
The only way I could actually communicate with anyone was through the written word, and that sparked my deep love for writing. After years of speech therapy, I’ve learned to talk in a way that other people can grasp — but I feel safe, and understood when I write.
Today, I have one skill in which I am confident. One skill in which I truly believe. I’m a writer, and I’m completely passionate about that. I love the work of writing, the joy of it. I love the difficulty, and the heartbreak. The triumph and the failure.
I write to experience all of that. I sometimes feel as though I write to live. But lately, I have begun to understand that writing must be more than that.
Writing is an opportunity to share what needs to be shared. Spread the right messages. Boost the right signals. And somehow, fill the void of low brow entertainment and media consumption. A void we’ve all become used to.
Writing is an opportunity to give a voice to the people who are being silenced.
To tell people why Donald Trump should never become President. To talk about the brutality of Vietnam, the abuses of authority uncovered by Edward Snowden, and the beauty of a world that many people will never have the chance to see.
I want my writing to do all that, and more. But I also want to help other writers reach that same goal. And I want to help more readers uncover the truths, ideas and dangerous concepts that exist all around them.
How am I going to do this? I’m building a new publication, here on Medium.
It’s called The Voidist.
It’s a chance for me to find great writers, put their names up in lights and let my readers know that the written word has life in it.
And there are going to be rules. Tough rules. Rules that address some hard truths about the way we consume content.
There will be no “listicles”. No top 10 tips. No 50 reasons to do anything. There will be no “how to” articles. No click-bait. No trash. No marketing content or thought leadership.
There will be diversity, with a range of different voices. Women, people of color, trans people, gay people, bisexual people, young and old, everyone who has a voice and a style and a grasp of the beauty of writing.
We will cover politics, sex & sexuality, personal essays, social issues, science & technology. We won’t be covering fiction, poetry, life advice etc.
I have some incredible editors:
I'm a writer, editor, social media manager, and entrepreneur. In recent months, I've been published on TIME, Newsweek…medium.com
I post about startups, politics, marketing, and coffee. Had my first startup acquired at 16, now founder of…medium.com
And I want your help. I want your writing. I want you to reach out with the best work you’ve done and the best work you think you can do. If you write for The Voidist, you own your work. But we can work together to gain the attention it deserves.
Please take a moment to look through our submission guidelines.
Email all submission pitches to: publisher@thevoidist.com
