Hi there,
I used to be a writer. I wrote and published a few books. In 2014, a few things happened, both in my professional and private life, that made me realize I was wasting my energy and needed to step away for a few minutes and catch my breath.
That few minutes has turned into two years (as of this writing). I walked away from publishing and didn't look back. I concentrated on myself, left a 13 year career with the military and started a new career from scratch. Put simply, I took a huge gamble on the unknown. I concentrated on the new career path and put all my energy and drive into doing that. Writing, as a career, was over for me at that point. I had been working up to it, in hindsight, but I didn't realize it until I made the decision.
To be honest, it was refreshing not having to obsess over where to place my next piece of short fiction or novel. Not to beat myself up for having not written anything of substance that day. Not to constantly be thinking about a certain story plot or feeling guilty because I wasn't jotting down notes.
The new job has had its bumps and detours, but it was the best decision I've made in a long time. I love my new job, I don't cringe anymore like I did in my last career about having to go to work. Looking back, I realize the enormous amount of unhappiness I was going through between that old career and trying to juggle a writing career at the same time.
I needed the break, and the distance, to concentrate on myself. Figure out what I was doing wrong and take steps to fix it. I suddenly enjoyed reading books again. I was no longer reading to research or figure out my next story. I was reading for the pure enjoyment and pleasure of it. I read a lot. I read some more. I caught up on TV shows and movies. And watched them for enjoyment.
My writing partners John Grover and Roy C. Booth understood what I was doing, I think. Roy, especially. He didn't prod (too much) and he managed to keep my writing persona active by helping submit unpublished collaborations in anthologies. Probably from the outside it looked like I was still active, when I actually wasn't, and I will always be highly appreciative of his doing that for me. John has continued writing and publishing and he's never once given me grief for stepping away.
This isn't my fiction writing comeback. At least, not yet.
This blog has been dormant since 2014, but I think I'm ready to write again. This time it'll be non-fiction and political. We all know what happened November 8, and it's been eating at me since it happened. I need to deal with the ramifications of all this and that's through writing. I realize that now.
I can't promise this blog will be consistent, but I need to get my thoughts down, if only for my own mental well being. There's going to be a lot of people over the next four years that are going to be counting on those of us to stand up for them, ensure certain things don't happen and fight to make sure we're all not left behind.
I'm a liberal, I'm a Democrat, I'm ready to be even more active than I've ever been.
Twitter is where I'm starting and this blog for longer thoughts.
Let's make sure we don't forget what happened on November 8. Let's make sure we're ready for what happens January 20, 2017.
More to come...
