So, after a long silence – I am finally back! I’m sorry for the lack of communication, but there was a much needed mental health break that needed to happen in December and I’ve been taking my time in recent weeks to have a full brain reset to prepare for the coming year.

What’s happening this year? At first glance, nothing! I don’t have any upcoming releases or even stories out on submission. I don’t have any real goals per se, other than to continue working on longstanding projects (my space opera novel, short stories, etc). Aside from that, this is a year to continue growing.

I’m going to get back on the review horse, so don’t worry and I have a lot of great books in the queue for you all! At the tail end of 2019, I agreed to come onto the team over at Red Sun to review for them along with maybe writing an article or two down the line. I’ve also begun to submit book reviews to Three Crow Magazine, as well, so keep an eye out for those.

In the postrelease space of Milo, I have to say that I have fallen into a creative rut. I haven’t felt the urge to write or to even outline. Not sure if this is a usual feeling after a much-anticpated release, or if this is just because it’s my first standalone debut, but that is just how I’ve been feeling. I’m no stranger to writer’s block or whatever else, but I have also learned that sometimes you just can’t force it.

And this leads me to a small 2019 reflection on where I am with my “writing life/career.” I’ve been struggling over the past few months, especially post-Nanowrimo to figure out and understand what writing means to me. Is it purely something I want to do full-time(for $$$)? Is it something that I do for fun or release? Or is it just a hobby that I enjoy? The issue is that writing is all of these things and none of them. Do I want to earn a living writing? Sure! Is writing something more personal to me? A way to process my feelings? Absolutely! Do I treat writing as a hobby that I can pick up and put down at will? On occasion.

As a husband & father of two littles with a myriad of other responsibilities: freelancing, a full-time job, being involved in my parish/community, and book reviewer, there is always the question of ‘do I need to write?’ It seems that I have too much on my plate already, and maybe I do. The fact is that I really love to write. When I’m in the mode, it just feels so good and if I do it first thing, I feel that rush throughout the day. Is every day like that? Well, after experiencing Nanowrimo this past year… dear reader: it does not. But again, this isn’t new to me, I’ve been writing professionally for the better part of a decade now and I don’t expect to stop any time soon.

So, where does this leave me now? Well, I’m going to re-contextualize my writing this year and I’m not going to hold so much pressure over myself if I don’t publish or if I don’t submit. I’ll still keep goals and stats, but they will be strictly personal unless I want to share them explicitly. I’m certainly not going to be strict about writing every day, but I will try my best to write a decent amount each month, to keep on track with deadlines and other things. My process has become a lot more organic and with everything going on it is not surprising that it has.

So, in a small closing, I’m grateful to you for sticking with me thus far and to continue following me on this small journey. Here’s to a new year and a blank page!