100 - Retrospective on 100 Posts of Summer

An interview with the author.

Interviewer: Congratulations on completing 100 posts in 100 days. How does it feel?

Sam Wagner: I’m not sure. It’s pretty hard to reflect since we’re still in it. Like we’re still writing the 100^th post, you know?

I knew you’d be difficult.

I’m not being difficult.

Can we start again and this time you say something definitive and useful?

I’m answering honestly, isn’t that enough?

People read this, you know. Not a lot of people but enough that you need to take this seriously.

I am taking this seriously.

We can do this tomorrow if you’re not ready. I mean we had this time blocked off but if you–

I’m ready. Let’s start again.

How does it feel to complete 100 posts in 100 days?
Amazing, truly. There’s a scene in (500) Days of Summer, which I ripped off for the name of my newsletter, where the main guy is dancing around town because he just had sex with the main girl. Right now, I feel like that.

Why did you choose to publish 100 posts in 100 days?

I want to transition into writing full time, and away from ad copywriting. I have wanted to for a while but I haven’t been prioritizing it. These 100 days was about proving to myself that I was serious about writing. And I started by addressing two of the things I need to work on most: finishing things and sharing my work. In 100 days I’ve binged both of those.

And the result?

I’m very confident in those areas now. I have no problem finishing things or sharing them. It was cool to see that change in just 100 days.

What other lessons can you share from your 100-day experience?

Well, 100 days goes by in a flash. When it’s over, you can either have 100 posts to show for it or not. I’m glad I have 100 posts. It was rarely easy and I threw a lot of little tantrums but looking back on it now I don’t remember any of that, all that remains is 100 posts and a lot more confidence in my writing going forward.

Walk us through the next 100 days?

I’m keeping my Substack going – weekly posts and a new name. But I’m also going to move on to something else. I’ll spend 100 days writing scripts, maybe 100 days on a novel. I also put aside some ideas during the last 100 days that I plan to revisit and submit for publication elsewhere.

Busy. How do you keep yourself motivated?

I don’t want to go back to advertising. That’s a big motivator. The rest has to be internal; I’ve had to fall in love with the process.

Did your friends keep you motivated?

I said this in post 97, where I begged (incentivized) people to share my blog, but anyone who has ever said a kind word to me about my writing (friends, family, strangers) has made a world of difference. I write to connect with people. It never fails to make me happy when I do.

Is that the ultimate goal? One person giving you a thumbs up?

Hah, no. With a task like this, which humbles me to dust every single day, ostentatious dreams are essential. My ideal is someone calls me up every day to adapt my new post into a feature film, and/or pay me to turn it into a novel. And I’d have 100 movies coming out and 100 books to write and lots of money and then 100 Pulitzers and 100 Oscars. But having my dad comment on my posts is a close second.

Are you mad at friends that didn’t read your blog?

God no. Getting 100 emails in your inbox is really annoying. I appreciate anyone who put up with that for even a few days. People are busy. Someone might be in the midst of 1000 Days of Pain and still making time to read my blog. I don’t know. Also it’s not like I’m the best at getting the word out. I didn’t post about it on Instagram until day 73.

At the time of your 100^th post, you have 105 subscribers. How do you feel about that?

I’m glad the subscriber number is bigger. That wasn’t the case until very recently. But I’ve been neglecting the things people do to become active members of the Substack community. I’m excited to start posting to Notes, which is like Substack’s Twitter/X. I want to spend more time reading other people’s work and connecting with other writers. Now I’ve got time for that.

Ok, rapid-fire round?

Are my answers too long?

No, it’s just the rapid-fire round.

Ok.

Who inspires you?

W.S. Gilbert, Robert Benchley and Dorothy Parker.

Anyone alive?

David Mitchell, Bo Burnham, Cole Escola and Amy Sedaris.

Any Substackers?

Sam Kriss is incredible.

What are you doing to celebrate your 100^th post?

I watched the Olympic opening ceremonies earlier and after this I’m going to take the cable car to Roosevelt Island and grab a cocktail at the Panorama Room that overlooks the city.

Which means more to you, a positive comment from a friend or from a stranger?

A stranger.

What was your favorite post?

The 1^st grader’s book report on The Brothers Karamazov.

What was your readers’ favorite post?

I’ve asked a few people this and funnily enough, women really love the iced tea piece, while men are drawn to the post where I renamed fish.

What was the hardest post to write?

There were a few days where I fell behind and had to write two posts in one day. Those were always the hardest, regardless of the subject matter.

If you did it again, what would you do differently?

I wouldn’t do it again.

How often did you wake up and have no idea what you would write that day?

Probably 94 days out of 100.

Ok last question. As you look ahead at your writing life, with plans to continue posting on Substack, to submit work for publication, to write a script, and finish a novel, what is your ultimate dream for your future?

Is this still a rapid-fire question?

No, you can take your time.

I want to be prolific. I want to be someone who is always deeply engaged in creative projects, seeking out new artistic opportunities and creative collaborators. I imagine saying things like:

“Oh me? I’m working on an opera about The Bachelor for the Met.”

“My current project? It’s that angry poetry series I’m doing in conjunction with a Gordon Ramsay food tour.”

“Right now? I’ve been commissioned to do hallucinogenic drugs in Queens and write about the US Open for Rolling Stone Magazine’s new tennis section.”

“You haven’t heard? I’m writing obituaries for extinct species, funded by the Chilean government.”

“Yes, same old same old, just adapting Milton’s Paradise Lost into a blockbuster buddy comedy for A24.”

And the best place for us to follow along with all this?

Substack.