Why Subscribe?

Wanderlust & Wordplay is your passport to a life less ordinary.

For years I believed I couldn’t be a writer. Then a guard at the Tower of London urged me to finally write the book I’d dreamed about. That push unlocked a passion I could not ignore. If you’ve ever dreamed of living abroad, love dystopian sci-fi and magical realism, or simply want to support independent creativity, you belong here.

I’ll be the first to admit that Gillian Fletcher is not the name on my birth certificate. Bestowed by a beloved mentor, the pen name gives me the confidence to speak boldly and without apology…sort of like a drag name.

Beyond Substack, my story “Virtually Dead” was featured in Seven Story Publishing’s Writing Writers Magazine. To support my work, you can purchase the Algorithm of Life novels, CALLED and TAUGHT from all major retailers, or name your own price on Gumroad.

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You control your experience

Prefer playlists over prose? More magical realism, less memoir? Customize Wanderlust & Wordplay to match your taste:

  1. Visit gillywater.substack.com in your browser

  2. Click your name (upper right) and choose Manage Subscription

  3. Select the feeds you love and get more of what inspires you

Who says you can’t have it all?

My AI Policy

Within Wanderlust & Wordplay I am the writer, full stop. All content—fictional and otherwise—is crafted without generative AI. I do use it as an SEO strategist and research assistant, much like a search engine.

Though AI has fueled creative debate, I won’t prescribe how others should create based on my beliefs. In my opinion, concerns about generative AI stem not from the technology itself but from the human choices that would unethically profit from the work of others. The problem isn’t the chainsaw, it’s Leatherface.

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Subscribe to Wanderlust & Wordplay | Life Abroad & Indie Storytelling

Your passport to life reimagined: step into new worlds and challenge your perspective from the comfort of your reading chair.

People

#1 bestseller in pastiche—algorithms don’t love me as much as you will.