Stranger Things Season Finale Review through a writer’s eyes and a fan’s heart.In this episode of Unwritten Chapters I break down what the Stranger Things finale does right and what most people miss on a first watch. Not plot trivia. Not outrage. The craft. The choices. The emotional beats that land hardest when you’ve lived through stress grief addiction recovery or the kind of work that makes you carry other people’s pain.If you’re a first responder a veteran a trauma literate human who is burnt out but still trying to stay soft this one is for you.I talk about:Why the ending hits so deep when you’re exhaustedWhat the finale reveals about grief hope and survivalThe writing moves that make it workWhat I would steal as an author and what I would changeWhy this story connects with mental health and recoveryIf you love Stranger Things and you’re also a writer reader creative or just someone trying to make sense of life after hard years you’ll feel seen here.Drop a comment with the moment that got you. I read them all.

📚 My BooksA Medic’s Mind – Memoir of military medic → paramedic, trauma, loss and reinvention. Amazon: https://a.co/d/fbYbp7xTrauma and Tea: Essays on Trauma, Recovery and Growing Up the Hard Way – A collection of raw essays about hitting rock bottom, healing and telling the truth. Amazon: https://a.co/d/9GnaoDV🌐 Visit my website for more: www.authormheneghan.com Author Matthew Heneghan🎙️ Host of the podcast Unwritten Chapters – Life After Trauma (for veterans, first responders, survivors of addiction and anyone rewriting the next chapter). Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/5hmuMofDnEkc8Ec9MqGHmC?si=N66NaCV_RGWcOrJz9HR-nALINKS & RESOURCES– Buy my books: authormheneghan.com/buy-the-book Author Matthew Heneghan– Follow on IG / Twitter / Facebook – @matthewhenehgan_author– Drop a comment, hit Subscribe, ring the 🔔 — let’s build a community of truth-telllers, healers and story-keepers.WHAT YOU’LL FIND ON THIS CHANNEL– Solo storytime episodes about PTSD, therapy, addiction recovery, relationships, family, and life after rock bottom– Unfiltered reaction videos to pop culture, internet drama, and politics through the eyes of a former army medic and paramedic– Honest conversations about mental health, trauma, grief, and trying to stay human in a burned-out world (with plenty of dark humour)– Updates on my books, podcast, and creative projects, plus real talk about writing and living your own next chapterThanks for being here. Whether you’ve worn a uniform, watched someone struggle, or are simply trying to make peace with your past — you’re not alone. Let’s walk it out together.

If you’ve been telling yourself “one day I’ll write it” while carrying everyone else’s weight… this is your sign.In 2019 I wrote a book largely by accident. I wasn’t “ready.” I wasn’t confident. I wasn’t some disciplined writer with a perfect morning routine and a color coded calendar. I was a former army medic and paramedic who’d seen too much, felt too much, and was trying to make sense of life after rock bottom.And that’s exactly why I’m saying this out loud now.2026 is your year to write your book. Start here.This episode is for the women in their 30s to 50s who are tired in their bones but still alive inside. First responders. Veterans. Trauma literate readers. Creative types. Mental health advocates. The ones who keep showing up for everyone else… while quietly wondering if their own story matters.In this talking head episode I walk you through:How I started writing my first book even when my life was messyHow to begin writing a book when you’re burnt out, overwhelmed, or scaredThe simplest way to turn your lived experience into a book ideaPractical tips for building a writing habit that actually works for real peopleHow to stop waiting for permission and start writing your memoir or book nowNo fluff. No guru nonsense. Just honest guidance with dark humour and a writer’s eye for the details that actually make a story land.If you’ve been carrying trauma, recovery, addiction, grief, service, motherhood, burnout, or just the quiet weight of “I’ve lived a lot”… this is for you. You don’t need to be healed to write. You just need a place to start.Hit play. Then write one page.If you want, drop a comment with what you’re trying to write:memoir, fiction, poetry, trauma recovery, mental health, first responder stories, or something you can’t name yet. I read them.#WriteABook #MemoirWriting #WritingTips #AspiringAuthor #MentalHealth #TraumaRecovery #FirstResponderLife #VeteranStories #AddictionRecovery #UnwrittenChapters📚 My BooksA Medic’s Mind – Memoir of military medic → paramedic, trauma, loss and reinvention. Amazon: https://a.co/d/fbYbp7xTrauma and Tea: Essays on Trauma, Recovery and Growing Up the Hard Way – A collection of raw essays about hitting rock bottom, healing and telling the truth. Amazon: https://a.co/d/9GnaoDV🌐 Visit my website for more: www.authormheneghan.com Author Matthew Heneghan🎙️ Host of the podcast Unwritten Chapters – Life After Trauma (for veterans, first responders, survivors of addiction and anyone rewriting the next chapter). Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/5hmuMofDnEkc8Ec9MqGHmC?si=N66NaCV_RGWcOrJz9HR-nALINKS & RESOURCES– Buy my books: authormheneghan.com/buy-the-book Author Matthew Heneghan– Follow on IG / Twitter / Facebook – @matthewhenehgan_author– Drop a comment, hit Subscribe, ring the 🔔 — let’s build a community of truth-telllers, healers and story-keepers.WHAT YOU’LL FIND ON THIS CHANNEL– Solo storytime episodes about PTSD, therapy, addiction recovery, relationships, family, and life after rock bottom– Unfiltered reaction videos to pop culture, internet drama, and politics through the eyes of a former army medic and paramedic– Honest conversations about mental health, trauma, grief, and trying to stay human in a burned-out world (with plenty of dark humour)– Updates on my books, podcast, and creative projects, plus real talk about writing and living your own next chapterThanks for being here. Whether you’ve worn a uniform, watched someone struggle, or are simply trying to make peace with your past — you’re not alone. Let’s walk it out together.

Canada wants 300000 troops across the Regular Force, Primary Reserve, and a Supplementary Reserve that could include civil servants. On paper it sounds bold. In real life it raises a question nobody is answering clearly:Can this even work?In this episode of Unwritten Chapters, I break down Canada’s military recruitment plan in plain language from the perspective of a CAF veteran and paramedic who’s lived inside institutions and watched how trust is built… and how it breaks.This isn’t fear porn. It’s a reality check.We talk about what a Supplementary Reserve actually is, what it would take to build a volunteer force at that scale, and why the biggest obstacle isn’t gear, money, or paperwork. It’s belief. When Canadians are constantly told our institutions are morally bankrupt or systemically broken, how do you ask the same people to volunteer their lives to defend them?If you’re a first responder, veteran, trauma-literate listener, or just someone exhausted by performative politics and allergic to bullshit, this one’s for you. No yelling. No spin. Just honest questions, hard truths, and the kind of dark humour you need to get through it.In this episodeCanada’s 300000 troop target explainedWhat the Supplementary Reserve is and why it mattersUsing civil servants to bolster readinessRecruiting realities in 2025 and what Canada is up againstTrust, identity politics, and why messaging mattersWhy good people hesitate to serve when they feel blamedIf this hit a nerve, drop a comment with your take: Would you volunteer right now? Why or why not?