Self-Reflections And Self-Plugs
I am of a mind to reflect. I am not going to inedeate you will cliched rhetoric about the blights of 2020. Nor am I going to spew cheesy motivational passages from the things will only get better playbook. I’m here for one reason and one reason only: to talk about writing.
When I finally reached my goal, fulfilling a childhood dream of writing a novel, I was hesitant, if not downright terrified, of what would happen after. Will I be a success? Will I have to go into hiding? Will I fail miserably? Tuck my tail and return to the daily grind? Either way, I expected a definitive, no contest result. Instead, to be bluntly honest, I got the exact opposite: indifference. Art, in any form, is subjective. I knew that. I was prepared for that. But limbo I was not.
Each of us is driven to some degree by a need for validation. Why are we here? What am I supposed to do? The core existential dilemma. Some find the answer in their family, others their community or in their work. Celebrity is the aim of some, spirituality others. Whatever your thing, I guarantee you look for an acknowledgement of some fashion that your actions have made an impact on someone. In my case, I’ve always felt writing was my calling, that through words I could entertain and educate. The test would be feedback. Write something, and see how it’s received. But every writer I know will say the same thing: you write because you need to. Okay, yeah, I agree, but let’s be honest, how long will you scream into a void of darkness when you hear nothing back? Eventually your throat’s gonna hurt. No, it is only human to look for encouragement to keep going. With writers, it’s reviews, sales, and contracts. Those are the signs someone enjoys reading your work. And when there are no reviews, sales or contracts, well, it’s hard to stop without some proof it’s due to lack of talent.
Then I got an offer to publish my story. And then another, and another. Then an offer from a different publisher, and then a different one again. Someone was reading my words and they liked them.
I’m not going to lie, 2020 ended very badly for my family. And although 2021 only promised more of the same dealt hand, at least it’s better than the alternative. What always helps are the lights in the darkness, when screaming into the void reaches someone. Encouragement received, motivation refueled. So, to be less cryptic, I will instead shamelessly self-plug.
Proud to say two of my stories have been recently released! First, an ironic tale of bizarre called ‘Fate, Fools and Firewater’ that is included in the eerie anthology LOATHSOME VOYAGES from Skullgate Media. The second, a Tale From The Dawn Cluster, is titled ‘For Neepa’ and is a part of THE DEPTHS OF LOVE, the first anthology from the SFWG and Cloaked Press. If you dig my work, check these books out and be introduced to a fantastic assortment of other speculative fiction authors!
I’m also waiting to hear back on another story, plus I have plans for a Short Story collection - probably some time next year. And I’m happy to say I’m hard at work on a new novel, a character study I’m enthusiastic to pen.
2021 and I are on the same page. At least for now....
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