My last real post on this blog was in 2019. It marks a break from writing fiction.

Some of the reasons why I set it aside are sad ones, but nothing particularly out of the ordinary.

I worked for many years in a toxic environment that sapped a lot of my energy and confidence. COVID hit. I got RIF’d from the toxic job. My mom and my father-in-law passed away. I got another teaching job. English sections were cut and so was I. It’s life, you know?

Some of the reasons why are far more fun.

I spent a perfectly reasonable number of hours gaming. Powerwash Simulator, Dragon Age: Inquisition (Dragon Age: Veilguard Heartbreaker), Baldur’s Gate 3, Date Everything, Vampire Survivors, Animal Crossing, and more kept my attention. I also dove into RPGs. I got to the point where I’ve even tried to write a few modules for my own use. I’ve watched a ton of shows and movies. I’ve never stopped reading. My good friend, Brandon, and I even have a podcast (doesn’t everyone?) about our re-reads. It’s not like I ever abandoned my love for stories.

I have a long Note containing ideas. They didn’t stop coming and I kept writing them down. So why didn’t I follow through with any of them?

I’m going to partially blame my decision to take a couple ghostwriting gigs. I’m also going to partially credit them for pushing me to start again. While I was grinding out articles and chapters, I started to wonder why I wasn’t using my time and creativity for my own ideas. After that belated revelation, I had to muster up the courage to leap back in.

It’s taken time to trust myself again. I’m still dusting off the cobwebs. But I’m trying. I’ve already collected some rejections. I also got an acceptance and I’m not going to lie and say it feels anything less than amazing. Guess I’ll be chasing that high for a while longer.

TL;DR Life sucks sometimes. Creativity can be redirected. You can also start again.

Thanks for reading!