New here? Here’s how to enjoy Ill-Behaved Women
Because history is already littered with the untold stories of women.
As a journalist/essayist/memoirist who has made a hard turn toward fiction, I want to use this space to share stories of the women who inspire me. It won’t be a bunch of treacly go, girl boss, go! This isn’t a space for the standard narrative. But if you know my writing you knew that.
If you don’t know my writing, welcome! Ill-Behaved Women is by, for and about all people who identify as female.
HI! I’m L.L. Kirchner. Once simultaneously the religion editor for an LGBTQIA+ paper, dating columnist for an alt newsweekly, and bridal editor for a society rag, my work has also appeared in The Washington Post, Salon, and The Rumpus among numerous other outlets while writing short stories on the side. I never imagined myself writing a memoir until life events compelled me to, and I ended up writing two works about my time as an expat in Asia—American Lady Creature: A Qatar Memoir, and Blissful Thinking: A Memoir of Overcoming the Wellness Revolution.
My goal in writing those books was not to tell my life story but express societal shifts. Despite the seriousness of the topics—American Lady Creature is about how I discovered my internalized misogyny and Blissful Thinking is about how the world of wellness amplified my suicidal ideation—my goal is to write entertaining stories that sneak up on you. Mostly because we learn life lessons slant, not by being told what to do. Or, as an NPR interviewer put it, my work is “like Eat, Pray, Love, but funny”—
That said, as society continued to evolve, I found there was more I wanted to express than I could through the single lens of my life experience. So I’ve returned to fiction.
In 2024, I released my debut novel, Florida Girls. The story follows an unconventional heroine navigating the criminal underworld and fighting for independence in a male-dominated society. Meant to be standalone, it turned into Book 1 of The Queenpin Chronicles.
And though I talk about my novels, Ill-Behaved Women is strictly for true stories. Because this is Substack and I know most people here are also writers, I will also offer paid subscribers access to my exhaustively thorough book marketing and publishing tips.
Whether you’re interested in learning book publishing and craft, or are likewise inspired by stories of bold women (most often newsmakers but also historic characters researched for my books), you’re in the right place.
You can join this space as a free or paid subscriber.
Below are links to various types of content. If you find something helpful here, I highly recommend at least becoming a free subscriber, if not a paid member to support the work. Members can access the complete archive.
Free Subscribers
Paid Subscribers
There’s plenty more.
Stories about history in the making — like this piece about The Golden Bachelor, apocalypse housewifery, and my disbelief at SATC’s second act.
And:
Craft tips and pep talks for all creatives, like setting and its metaphorical role in shaping our reality, and creating a year-end inventory.
Behind-the-scenes looks at my works-in-progress, like this.
Curated lists of memes/books/movies/stories inspiring me right now, something like this but focusing on one thing.
This video workshop on getting your narrative unstuck.
No matter how you got here, or why, thank you for reading. It really is our last and best defense.
I would love to see the comments section expand, but that’s based on YOU and you’re out there busy, being your ill-behaved self. I will respond to all questions on paid how-to posts.
Loooove this new name and you branching out into fiction! Can't wait to read more!
Thank you for sharing!