ABOUT THE GEN X-TRAORDINAIRE QUESTIONNAIRE 💕🦄✨

OMG, like, totally! 🎀 I'm Dr. Tamara MC—a jelly shoe wearing, Bubble Yum smacking, Sweet Valley High reading child of the 80s who, like, never left! 💗 Picture me in my acid-washed Guess jeans and Members Only jacket, slathered in Love's Baby Soft, with my Walkman blasting "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" on repeat. So I'm creating this absolutely rad to the max questionnaire for all my fellow Gen Xers out there—because I believe the 80s and 90s were, like, the most stellar decades EVER (and I'll fight anyone who says otherwise—with friendship bracelets and glitter!)! 🌈💖

This joyful project is about creating a space for us to see, hear, and understand each other—like the best slumber party ever! 🧁 I know not everyone's childhood was perfect (whose was?), but this is about finding those pockets of pleasure and goodness from our unique experiences. Many of us are now navigating menopause (hello, hot flashes! 🔥), divorces, career shifts, empty nests, aging parents, and all the big life changes. Like, we just blinked and suddenly we're the adults wearing reading glasses at Target! 👗 But we're still the generation that made killer mixtapes, survived without cell phones, and knew every word to "The Facts of Life" theme song. We're dealing with real life while still remembering how amazing it felt to find the perfect Lisa Frank sticker! 🦄💕

This questionnaire is, like, such a mega-rad way to celebrate who we are—remembering those sun-soaked mall days and capturing who we've become. 🌸 We're talking about the generation that grew up with Madonna telling us to Express Ourselves while we teased our hair with entire cans of Aqua Net, Cyndi showing us our True Colors while we layered our slouch socks, and Whitney asking How Will I Know while we wrote in our lockable diaries with those tiny keys we always lost. We survived on Capri Sun and Fruit Roll-Ups, collected Garbage Pail Kids like they were precious treasures, and thought staying up to watch Friday Night Videos was the height of sophistication! 🍭🎉

The questionnaire has 13 questions about your life now—focusing on the good like a totally feel-good rom-com—plus this super fun "Flashy Flashback" section where you just write quick answers about all the totally tubular stuff from back in the day. Plus a bonus question that's, like, totally yours to create! 🌈 I've also included a question about support because I want us to build community—maybe we can actually help each other out! Like a Gen X Hallmark movie where everyone ends up happy! 💖

I'm gonna feature these on my Substack (it's like those diaries we used to keep but on the internet—trippy, right? 🦩), and I'm totally hoping to turn them into this mega-cool anthology someday. Because, like, our generation deserves to have our stories told in our own words, with all our radical slang intact! 🎀

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SUBMISSION GUIDELINES 💕🛼🌈

Like, here's the 411 (decorated with imaginary Lisa Frank unicorns, Hello Kitty stickers, and those puffy heart stickers we traded!): 🦄💖

1. Who Can Submit 💄 If you were born between '65-'80 and remember the total awesomeness of Caboodles filled with Bonnie Bell Lip Smackers, you're invited to submit! Gen X cuspers welcome too—if you know what "Mikey likes it!" means, come on in! Must be 18+ (sorry, gotta be all adult about some things!). English submissions only, please! 🌸

2. How to Submit 📼💗 Fill out the questionnaire (takes anywhere from 45 minutes to 100 hours—like, however long you need!) and submit through Submittable—it's easier than programming your VCR!

3. Format 🎀 Word docs only please—I'm old school like that! Like, I still miss my Trapper Keeper, so let's keep it simple!

4. Submission Limit 🎵💕 One submission per person, just like making the perfect mixtape—quality matters!

5. Word Count 💌🦩 Your main answers can be as long or short as you want! Submit fully edited, publication-ready work. Check for typos and spelling—can't change after publication!

6. If Something's Not Your Bag 🌈 If there's something you don't wanna answer, just skip it—no biggie! Don't have a cow, man! This should be fun, not homework!

7. Submission Timeline 💖🧁 No deadline! Rolling submissions forever and ever (or until I say otherwise)! I work with my own AuDHD flow—sometimes I'll be totally hyperfocused on reading submissions like I'm binge-watching "Saved by the Bell," sometimes I'll be off doing other stuff. This is one of many passion projects I'm juggling (like we used to juggle hacky sacks!), and I've got limited time, but this project is super close to my heart!

8. The Vibe Check (This is mega important—like, "Very Special Episode" important!) 🎡💕 This is meant to be joyful, inspirational, and uplifting—focusing on the good stuff like a feel-good rom-com! No political yuckiness or offensive content. I have sole discretion about what gets published and what's too grody. Keep it positive and rad—like a Hallmark movie for Gen Xers!

9. Mailing List 💌🌸 By submitting, you'll be added to my totally tubular mailing list where I share other rad Gen X content (but you can unsubscribe anytime if it's not your jam—no hard feelings!).

10. Publication Details 🎀✨ I'll feature selected submissions on my Substack whenever the mood strikes—no guarantees all will be included, and no set schedule because I'm allergic to schedules! Pieces will appear when the universe (and my ADHD brain) aligns! Think of it like when your favorite video finally came on MTV—you never knew when, but it was magic when it happened!

11. Rights You keep all rights to your writing—it's yours forever, like that mood ring you still have! 💍 I get first publication rights for 90 days and perpetual rights to publish in any format or media and/or permission to quote/excerpt for promotion. 

12. Credit 🌈💕 You need to include your real name for credit—but like, if you wanna add your old CB handle or AOL screen name too (remember SurferGirl88 or SkaterDude1990?), that would be totally choice! I'll use whatever name combo you want!

13. Bio 🧚🏻‍♀️ Include a short bio (2-3 sentences) with your current info—where you are now, what you do, whatever you want to share!

14. Photos 📸💖 You can include 1-2 photos—one from back in the day (big hair and neon encouraged!) and one from now if you'd like! Totally optional but super cool if you do! Just make sure you own the rights!

15. Editing 🩰 Real talk—I'm probably not gonna edit anything because I'm too busy reorganizing my Hello Kitty collection, so make sure your submission is ready to rock! Check your spelling and stuff—pretend Ms. Johnson from English class is gonna read it! That being said, I have the right to edit if necessary. 

16. Payment 🎵💗 No payment at the moment (hoping to change that in the future!).

17. Notification 🦩💕 OK, so like, I'm not the best at communication (ADHD brain + too many projects = chaos), but I'll totally do my best to let you know when your piece goes live. No promises on exact timing because time is a social construct anyway! Just know that I super appreciate you and will do my best!

18. Promotion 🌸✨ When your piece goes live, YOU agree to share on YOUR social media tagging me. Let's make this bigger than the "Who Shot J.R.?" mystery!

19. Rules I can change the rules/conditions whenever I need to, without  notice—it's my party! 🎉

20: Original Work All submissions must be your original work (no copying from your BFF!) You're responsible for any copyright stuff in your submission. 

That's it, you magnificent human! I'm, like, so psyched to read your stories! This is gonna be more rad than finding money in your old jacket pocket! 🦄💖

XOXO, 

Dr. Tamara MC 💗

P.S. If you don't submit, I'll be sadder than when they cancelled "My So-Called Life"! Be tubular and share your story! 💕✨

P.P.S. I'm totally writing this while listening to my "Awesome Mix Vol. 1" (yes, I made one before it was cool!) and eating Fun Dip! 🎵💖🍭

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FAQs: Like, Totally Tubular! 🍧💖

Q: How many submissions will you feature? It totally depends on how many I get and what feels right! Could be tons, could be selective—I'm going with my gut like we did when choosing which candy to buy with our allowance! 🍬

Q: When will my piece appear? Whenever it feels right! I don't do schedules—they're bogus. Think of it as a fun surprise! 🎀

Q: What if I can't remember some of the flashback answers? Just skip 'em! No stress—this should be as fun as a slumber party! 🧁💕

Q: Do I have to answer every single question? Nope! Skip what doesn't vibe with you. It's all good! 🌈

Q: Will you edit my submission? Probably not—so make it shine like your Lip Smackers collection! 💄✨

Q: How long should my answers be? However long feels right—from haiku to novel, whatever! 📝💗

Q: Can I include song lyrics or quotes? Copyright is a real thing, so check before submitting. 🎵

Q: What about the anthology? I'm totally hoping to make one someday! First Substack, then maybe book—fingers crossed! 🤞💖

Q: Can I submit if I'm Gen X but grew up outside the US? Totally! Gen X is worldwide. 🌍💕

Q: Why do you charge? 💰 Why $3.33? 💕 Let me begin with 333. I love numbers and repeating numbers and 3 3s, which are, like, totally auspicious and wonderful! I love the shape of the 3, the curve—it's so rad! 🌈 Second, I'm charging because Submittable charges me, so I'm trying to balance out the pluses and minuses of my bookkeeping (math was never my strong suit, but whatevs!). I don't want the fee to hinder anyone from submitting, so if this is a burden, please let me know. For real! 💗

Q: To AI or not to AI? 🤖✨ Not all of us have had the same privileges in life, schooling, or anything else. If AI helps you communicate in your most authentic and true-to-your-heart way, I get it. I am not the AI police—no way! 🚔 What I do want is your Truth, and however you answer the questions, is your most truest to true version. Keep it real, keep it you! 💖

Q: Why a questionnaire? 📝💗 I've always loved questionnaires—like, totally! I still have my little books from elementary school, where they asked your fave teacher, food, etc. I treasure those most—they're more precious than my Garbage Pail Kids collection! 🦄 I love looking back at who I was. It's like time travel but without the DeLorean!

Q: Do you accept essays, poetry about our Gen X-traordinary era? 📚🎸 Not yet, but I'd love to in the future—that would be so choice! That being said, if you have something you think would be a great fit, submit it, and who knows!  I love all things pop culture. I'm a Pop Culture Princess. Pop. Pop. Pop. 👑💿✨