What are Experimental Wolves?

In December 2023, I heard the following story about the reintroduction of wolves in the state of Colorado 80 years after they were eradicated there.

As I was listening, a particular phrase stuck out to me:

The wolves will be considered experimental under the federal Endangered Species Act…

Experimental wolves. I pulled into a parking lot and quickly emailed those two words to myself so I wouldn’t forget them. It seemed like…something. A title, a poem, a symbol, a subplot, a song by They Might Be Giants. Something.

That email slowly made its way to the bottom of my inbox as many others piled in. Emails from my publisher about marketing and publicity opportunities for my upcoming book release. Emails from bookstore owners and librarians about scheduling speaking opportunities. Emails from organizers of writing conferences looking for workshop descriptions and bios. All great things related to my writing career.

My experimental wolves? I just didn’t have time for them.

Releasing the Wolves

I was doing a sweep of my inbox in January, trying to make sure nothing for the book release had fallen through the cracks, and of course I saw that old emailed note to myself. There they were, my experimental wolves, still caged with no release date in sight. Because, did I forget to tell you? I’m also already in the middle of writing another book.

A couple weeks after that NPR piece I heard, they ran another, shorter story.

The Colorado wolves were now free. Free to succeed or fail. They may make it, or they may not. Regardless, they were free to try.

And here’s where this intersects with writing—with your writing, actually.

When it comes to writing, ideas are our experimental wolves. We capture them in one place and we release them in another. They may work. They may not. We just have to give them time to get their paws under them.

I've got a lot of wolves. Over the past two decades, I’ve captured hundreds and hundreds of them and kept them captive in notebooks. What I don’t have is enough time to let them all wander around the landscape of my mind in hopes that they will all find their way into full literary form and succeed out in the world. I won’t live long enough for that, let alone make margin in this very full life to develop them.

Rather than keep them eternally penned up and tame, I'm letting them loose.

For you.

Each week I release an experimental wolf in the form of a writing prompt or story idea to see if it can find a home in you. These Weekly Wolves are for anyone who'll give them a chance to find their way. They can remain lone wolves—singular ideas that stay singular—which are perfect for poems and short stories. Or perhaps they will band together with the wolves you already have in your head to become part of a bigger pack, big enough to sustain a novel or even a series.

Either way, these experimental wolves are looking for more than I can give them. I am hoping if I release them to other writers, they’ll find a good life.

If you're a writer of any kind—fiction or nonfiction, poetry or essays, short stories or novels, of any genre—this Substack is for you. All subscribers, free or paid, will find here tips and encouragement for the writing life, as well as an inside look at the ups and downs of being a traditionally published author. But the experimental wolves themselves, the prompts and ideas that will hopefully fuel your own writing, are reserved for paying subscribers.

Subscribe now to get full access to the Weekly Wolf, publication archives, and any extras I find to throw your way.

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Join the pack

Wolf packs are an extended family where the strong help the weak and teamwork is a given. At Experimental Wolves, we’re building a community of generous, self-giving writers who know that a lone wolf will not last in the writing wilderness. If you have a scarcity mindset or think of writing and publishing as a zero-sum game or competition, you will not enjoy being part of this pack.

With that in mind, when you participate in the comments section, remember that this is your family. Encourage one another, share ideas and solutions, brainstorm, and form new friendships. Alone we starve. Together we will be well fed.

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