Mid-Month SITREP from Served

Let’s talk stories, prompts, boost nominations, and timeliness!

Hi from sunny and warm Virginia!

I don’t know about you, but Spring couldn’t come fast enough for me. Enough long, dark days! I find working in my garden very therapeutic so I’ve been enjoying digging in the dirt and getting those seeds started.

If you’ve noticed in the news lately, the VA has approved a more robust usage of the GI Bills, finishing a years-long court battle for the benefit of veterans! Which leads me to ponder… what other issues do veterans need to get in front of legislators?

This is where you come in!

Only through sharing our stories and lived experiences as veterans can we hope to audit the narrative of self-serving politicians and political entities (especially important during an election year!) who use the name of veterans to pander to certain audiences, for certain (usually self-serving) purposes [to be clear, on BOTH sides of the aisle, as it were].

I’d love for Served to be the space for those stories! I’ve never mentioned it, as I was learning the ropes, but I am a part of the Boost Nomination program, meaning I can nominate any of your stories submitted to my publications for a Boost! I’ve had 54 pieces boosted during my tenure on Medium, and the increase in exposure and reach is even more exciting than the boost in earnings.

I want to nominate YOUR stories! I want to showcase the enormous talent here at Served, and I want your stories to get the reach and exposure they deserve.

In that vein, here are some prompts for Spring 2024. I welcome nonfiction and poetry submissions:

• A Change in Perspective: How has your perspective or view of the military changed or deepened over time?
• Letter writing: Write a letter to a former military team member, or to an enemy combatant. Tell this person whatever feels important or relevant to say in this space. Tell them how much of an impact they’ve had on your life. Or any lessons learned. Or reminisce about old experiences. Whatever feels right.
• Opposite Perspective: Write a story or scene from the perspective of someone on the other side, perhaps a so-called enemy, or adversary. Try to get inside their head for a few moments and describe how they might see the world or the events unfolding.
• Interesting Character or Culture: Military life often puts us in contact with a host of unique characters and cultures. Select one, a person or peoples, and write about your interaction with them. Or a character sketch. Or how they affected your life.

As we build our library of stories here at Served, my goal is to work towards releasing an anthology of works (an actual printed book!) just in time for Veteran’s Day in November. The anthology will be released on Amazon in physical and e-book format. (If you are interested in submitting artwork for the anthology, please contact me to discuss!)

Ideally, this would become an annual anthology of our best works to celebrate the written work of veterans and to help further the mission of auditing the narrative of military service in the United States.

I’d like to highlight our stellar cast of writers, without whom Served would not exist (except as an echo chamber of my writing alone, which would admittedly be lame) and by whom I am consistently awed and impressed. In no particular order:

Andy B. Hahn, B Ferek, CL Huth, Craig G, Dayvan Tinman, Jabberwockymp, Jonathan R Lovins, Lee J. Bentch, James Michael Wilkinson, Rebekah Adams, Roman Newell

Oh, and if you haven’t already, make sure to follow Served on Facebook!

One last request: I have a podcast, The Light at the Other Side, where I share stories of resilience, healing, and hope — I’d be honored to read any of your stories, and in fact, I am actively seeking content [other than my own] to share on the podcast. I have listeners in over a dozen countries and over half of the United States, so your words will have even greater reach and impact. If you’d be willing for me to read one of your pieces on an episode of The Light at the Other Side, let me know! I’d be honored and ever so grateful! (And if you’d rather read it yourself and send me the audio, that would be incredible, also!)

Thank you, thank you, thank you for trusting Served with your words, your experiences, and your heart as you share your truth as veterans. I am honored to host this space elevating your words to reach a wider audience. I look forward to more growth, more followers, and more excellent stories in the coming months!

With my greatest appreciation,