Welcome to Side Quest

Hello you!

I’m Megan. (But you can call me Megs, or Meg.) I’m a mum and a writer and a servant to two cats.

There's simply no way to understand the human world without stories. - Will Storr, The Science of Storytelling

I am a writer.

This newsletter began as a way to search for meaning. It began during my 'religious deconstruction' era (a fun time for everyone in my household), when I became mildly obsessed with humans: what makes us human, why we're here, what the point is of everything. I felt that storytelling, in all mediums, was the answer. And I wanted a space to talk about the things I love.

Since then, AI has arrived. It decimated my job, it shook my sense of purpose, and in general, it scared the shit out of me. I have moved through all the emotions that come with change: anger, sadness, frustration. (Still working on 'acceptance'.) AI has shaken a lot of things. It's changed my perception of technology. It's made me long for a new, better internet. It made me quit social media and take up more analogue hobbies. Even more than when I started this newsletter, I am seeking human meaning in everything.

This is a newsletter about stories: both enjoying them, and creating them. I write about games, books, and music, and what these things say about the human heart and the reason for everything. Here, we celebrate human-made art, words written by people, real connection, and community. I dissect the stories behind some of my favourite things and think about what I can learn from them as a writer. And I am (slowly) falling back in love with writing again. 100% me, every word. Doing it for the love of it, and to find other people who feel the same way.

If you want to get to know me, read these:

  • Clay Supremacy - an ode to the supreme leader of Animal Crossing
  • Creatures - on photography, bodies, and power
  • Transition - on alligator games and family dynamics
  • Oh Baby(z) - on bad '90s games and big family decisions
  • Kaleidoscope - on important sex scenes in movies
  • Glitched - on the horror trope that gets right under my skin

If any of that sounds appealing to you, I'd love for you to come along with me for weekly posts about games, books, pop culture, and the best bits of the internet.

thanks, ily

Side Quest Extra

Side Quest Extra is the paid tier of this newsletter. There, you'll find vlogs about writing, flash fiction, writing advice and tips from my years in freelancing, and behind-the-scenes stuff. Plus, a monthly wrap-up of the books I've read. It's $5 a month and it makes a huge difference to me, so please come join if you want to support me!

Sign up for Side Quest Extra

Find Me On The Internet!

You can find me on BlueSky, the only social media platform I currently trust.

PS. Thank you so much to Daniel for the logo! You can find his incredible writing on his website/newsletter, Tiers in Rain.