What if the book of the summer was in your inbox?
‘Come If You Want’ arrives Tuesday, July 8th.
I’ve always been interested in people who can bring others into their world through experimentation and real-time interaction. Whether it’s Charli xcx’s precise BRAT roll-out, the episodic hooks of ‘Who TF Did I Marry?’ or, more relevantly, a Feed Me or Hung Up newsletter live-event, what fascinates me is how people can get closer to the things they love through means that disrupt the traditional stasis.
Why should literature be any different? Why has the world of fiction mostly remained… so traditional?
What if the book of the summer was in your inbox?
This summer, we are doing things a bit differently on LOOSEY. Starting next Tuesday, you will receive a new chapter of a story called ‘Come If You Want,’ a serialized novella delivered right to your inbox over the next four weeks.
‘Come If You Want’ examines modern dating through the eyes of a hopeful romantic named Palmer who is overwhelmed by groupchat-groupthink. One day, exhausted by dating advice from his friends and therapist, he accidentally summons his “divine match” from a TikTok tarot card reader. The only issue is that his match is a rapping sock-puppet ventriloquist who causes Palmer to re-evaluate what he truly wants in a relationship.
The novella fuses the doomed romance of Kristen Roupenian’s ‘Cat Person’ with the comedic supernatural elements of Sloane Crosley’s ‘Cult Classic.’ If you loved ‘Rejection,’ had mixed feelings about ‘The Materialists,’ and/or can’t escape the latest ‘Love Island’ discourse, this story is for you (and your groupchat). Through precise humour and the cultural commentary LOOSEY readers are accustomed to, ‘Come If You Want’ points toward a broader truth about our approach to dating and all the outside voices we allow in when determining if someone is ‘the one.’
Read all the chapters now…
Come If You Want - Chapter One
You are reading ‘Come If You Want,’ a serialized novella by Brendon Holder. This is the first of four chapters.
Come If You Want - Chapter Two
You are reading ‘Come If You Want,’ a serialized novella by Brendon Holder. This is the second chapter. You can catch up on the first chapter here.
Come If You Want - Chapter Three
You are reading ‘Come If You Want,’ a serialized novella by Brendon Holder. This is the third chapter. Catch up on the first and second chapters before jumping in.
Come If You Want - Chapter Four (Finale)
You are reading the final chapter of ‘Come If You Want,’ a serialized novella by Brendon Holder. Catch up on the first, second, and third chapters before jumping in.
One of my favourite things about fiction is being able to discuss it with friends, which is why I want to hear your thoughts about each chapter for the next four weeks. To participate, get into the comment section of each chapter for a Q&A, hit up the Subscriber Chat for reader discussions, and stay tuned for some surprises and hints for the next chapter.
I’m still going to aim to drop your ‘regular’ LOOSEY programming on Sundays, but this is going to be something fun and new for the summertime! So make sure you’re subscribed and share with a friend (or groupchat) to read along with us over the next four weeks.
Come if you want 🙂
Brendon
PRESS INQUIRIES / ADVANCED READER COPIES: If you’re interested in covering or reviewing ‘Come If You Want,’ let me know by replying to this email 🙂
LOOSEY is a biweekly newsletter about culture, art, technology, and the way we live. If this is something you like, consider subscribing and sharing. Let’s be friends on Instagram.
This is so exciting! I keep waiting for serialized fiction to hit Substack and here it is... Will be curious to know if this is monetized better than traditional novels today. I'm along for the ride!
I CANT WAIT