Big News! I Got Married! And, We’re Co-Editing a Book of Essays on Second Chances. Submissions Window Now Open thru 7/21/25
This is your invitation to share how YOU started over.
Hello, dear readers,
I have an exciting update! This past weekend, after eight years together, Eric and I tied the knot! It was a day full of family, joy, surprise reunions, and—true to form—unexpected plot twists. (Yes, there will be stories!)
In the spirit of second chances—and the beauty of what happens when we say yes again—Eric and I are thrilled to announce the launch of our first collaborative book project: We Began Again: Collected Essays on Second Chances.
A Call For Submissions
We’re now accepting submissions of personal essays (750 words max) exploring second chances in love, life, identity, and anything in between. Tell us your story. Make us laugh, cry, and nod in recognition. The deadline is July 21st, 2025, and we’ll start reading your stories during our honeymoon.
Scroll down to learn more, or submit your essay here.
Thank you for being part of this evolving and magnificent journey.
With so much gratitude,
Christine
We Began Again:
Collected Essays on Second Chances
Edited by Christine Wolf & Eric Ronne
We’re thrilled to officially announce our very first collaborative book project as co-editors (and newlyweds)!
This collection will feature personal essays from writers around the world—true stories of transformation, resilience, and hope when life took an unexpected turn — by writers who chose to begin again.
As a real-life second-chance couple, we’re so excited to begin our new chapter as wife and husband (see what I did there?). We invite you to share in our joy by sharing your story (or stories!) of reinvention.
Submission Window
Opens: June 21, 2025 at 9:00am CST (our wedding day!)
Closes: July 21, 2025 at 11:59pm CST
✍️ What We’re Looking For
We’re accepting personal essays (up to 750 words) on how a second chance impacted your life. A few examples:
A second chance at love after heartbreak or loss
A career pivot or unexpected professional reinvention
Starting over in a new place—a town, a country, or even just a new mindset
Returning to sobriety, or beginning a journey of recovery
Rebuilding trust with a friend, partner, or family member
Reinventing yourself after failure, burnout, illness, grief, or regret
Or any other moment where life gave you another shot, and you took it
If you’ve ever had to rebuild, reimagine, or begin again, we want to hear your story.
3 Top Tips for Success
Jump right into the action.
Don’t give us a ton of backstory. Instead, consider starting with the problem you faced and what the stakes were.
Embrace vulnerability.
Make sure readers understand what your struggle was. Let us sit with the discomfort of the unknown before telling us how you “solved” or “fixed” things. Bring us into your feelings of shock, indecision, pain, loss, or overwhelm.Tell us more than just what happened: Go deep and describe how the events made you FEEL.
Submission Fee: $10 per essay
This fee helps us cover the cost of reading and reviewing each submission, plus the design, printing, and production costs of the finished book. We’re funding this project with a combination of submission fees and our own savings.
Paid subscribers to this Substack can submit their essays for free using the Discount Code SECONDCHANCE.
Paid Subscribers Submit for FREE
If you're a paid subscriber to this Substack, your submission fee is waived—no matter how many essays you send us.
Monthly paid subscription: $10
Annual paid subscription: $50 — a 58% savings over monthly
Cancel anytime. Seriously. Submit and dip if you want—we won’t be offended.
Paid Subscriber Perks of Writers’ Haven by Christine Wolf
When you upgrade to a paid subscription, you’ll receive:
Unlimited free submissions to We Began Again
Access to my video archive, including memoir classes, exclusive expressive writing workshops, and live interviews with writers and publishing industry professionals
Sneak peeks of my memoir-in-progress, Training Grounds
Your name listed on the Supporters’ Page when my memoir is published
And much, much more…
FAQs
1. Will contributors be paid?
Not financially, but here’s what you will receive:
A digital copy of the finished book
A chance to have your writing featured and promoted in a one-of-a-kind collection launched during a real-life love story
Interviews with us once the book’s published
Our deepest gratitude for helping us build something meaningful, lasting, and real
2. Can I submit more than one essay?
Yes!
3. Can I submit previously published work?
Yes, as long as you have the rights to the content.
4. Will I retain the rights to the work I submit?
Yes!
5. Can I publish under a pen name?
Yes!
6. Are you looking for uplifting stories? Vulnerable stories? Unresolved stories?
Yes. Yes. And yes.
7. How do I submit?
Paid subscribers, click here to submit your essay(s) FREE!
Use Discount Code SECONDCHANCE
If you’re not a paid subscriber, click here to pay your submission fee and upload each essay.
Questions?
Drop your questions in the comments. We’re happy to clarify anything.
Know Someone With A Good Second Chance Story?
Please share this post with them and encourage them to submit an essay!
We can’t wait to read your second chance stories—big or small, joyful or complicated, typical or miraculous. They all matter.
With love and excitement,
Christine & Eric
Christine Wolf is a memoir coach, developmental editor, and author of Politics, Partnerships, & Power. She teaches workshops in Expressive Writing for Emotional Healing at Northwestern University and is the founder and principal of Writers’ Haven Evanston, a workspace for writers near Chicago. christinewolf.com
Eric Ronne is the founder and principal of Lumen Design (no, not “that” LUMON), specializing in web3 branding, web design, event design, custom illustration, and more.
They met on a dating site.
Congratulations to you and Eric! That's a lovely wedding photo!
I'm excited to write an essay (or two or three) to possibly be included in your book.
By the way, I'm sitll learning my way around Substack. When I "like" a Note, I'm finding it doesn't mean I "liked" the actual post. So, sorry for the duplication! ;-)
Congratulations Christine!!!!