About seven years ago, I started taking my writing more seriously.  I’d been picking at writing since I was a kid, but I’d never put the necessary effort in to finish projects or create much meritorious material.  Sure, I’d put out a short story or two.  I co-created a short comic.  I’d written notebooks and notebooks of story ideas, world-building, etc., but I couldn’t point to anything and say, “see, I’m a writer.”

Seven years after sitting in a cafe in Washington D.C. and banging out a story in one sitting, I have several finished stories, a blog, a YouTube channel, a Patreon page, and the first draft of a novel.  And that’s all been squeezed out of the limited time around my full-time job.  I’m not unhappy about what I’ve done, but I am a bit frustrated that I haven’t accomplished more.

As so many people have done and are doing in light of the pandemic, as well as a lot of other chaos and confusion in the world, I’ve done a lot of thinking about myself, my life, my future, and where I’m at with all of that.  After a great deal of contemplation and no shortage of conversation with my wife, I’ve made the decision to take a break from full-time employment and focus on my writing.  To say this is a big decision is an understatement.  With one brief exception back in 2001, I’ve had regular employment since 1992.  However, I realized that various factors had cut my time and more importantly my energy that I could devote to writing.

On October 1st, I’m stepping away from traditional work and I’ll start to treat my writing as a full-time job, though one that doesn’t pay.  How long will this last?  I don’t know.  We’re prepared for a few months, but if I can start bringing in enough funds, it might be longer.  I’ll be focusing on finishing my first Conquest of the Sphere novel, finishing a serialized story that has appeared on my Patreon, and getting some short stories on the submission circuit.

I also want to know what you want.  Do you want to see more short stories?  Do you want more of me talking about my process?  Are there subjects you want me to talk about on my YouTube channel?

So, that’s the plan.  It’s not forever, but it’s for now.  Time to put up or shut up.  Time to put pen to paper and really get some work done.

Obviously, going from a steady income to…very close to no income (not to mention benefits, etc.), is a big change and requires some re-figuring in life.  Writing has been my dream since I was 10 or 11 years old.  Telling stories has been a passion for much of my life.  If the last few years have taught me anything, it’s that there are no guarantees.  I’ve tried to do the smart thing, the safe thing, for years.  Yet the best things that have happened in my life have happened when I did the unsafe thing, the thing that scared me to my core.  Many years ago, that was leaving my hometown and moving to the “big city.”  Later it was saying yes to seeing a movie with a lady I’d chatted with a couple times.  Now I’m ready to pursue a dream I’ve fostered for more than 30 years.

If you’re so inclined, you can help me out in various ways: 

First the free stuff.  Subscribe to my YouTube channel and like & comment on my videos.  It helps the algorithm pick up my channel, gets more eyes on it, and at some point might even start generating a bit of money.  If social media is your thing, you can follow my Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.  Again, interactions with my posts are super helpful. 

You can throw me a tip and “buy me a coffee.”

Or, you can support me on Patreon.  I’m hoping to have more happening over there as I have more time to write.

You can always read my stories on Kindle.  If you do, a rating and review would be much appreciated.  Reviews and ratings make a HUGE difference for an independent author like myself.  Reviews on Goodreads are also super helpful.  And of course, word of mouth is fantastic, so if you like something I’ve written, please tell people you think might also like it.
I’ve also become an affiliate for DriveThruRPG and Amazon, so if you’re doing any shopping on those sites, if you don’t mind going through my links, I can get a little kickback at no extra cost to you. 

For those of you who’ve been reading along for the last few years, for those who’ve read and reviewed my stories or helped me out on Patreon, I want to thank you.  You’ve given me hope that maybe I can make this work, even if just for a little while.