The Hard and Messy Things
100 Subscribers!
Before anything else: 100 subscribers, I want to take a second to actually say that out loud. When I started this, I hoped a handful of you would show up, and here we are. Thank you, genuinely, for being part of this from the beginning.
Now, on to the messy stuff.
We live in a world of infinite scrolling through perfect people doing perfect things, and that gets to us. It makes us hesitant to post, hesitant to share anything that isn’t polished and ready. But it’s the imperfect that’s beautiful and human. With that in mind, here are some of the real, messy parts of this creation process and the schedule I promised you.
Doubt
Who am I to be writing books? Who am I to think anyone would enjoy the stories I write? I’ve written a ton of stuff that will never see the light of day, and yet here I am again. Every creative project has its dark moments, those conflicted, what am I even doing moments, and that’s just part of the deal. When they hit me, I become the guy who says, “throw it all away, I’m never doing anything again.” My wife gently reminds me that this may not be the most productive approach, and she’s probably right. But that all-or-nothing reaction is just how I seem to process doubt. Is it healthy? Who knows. What I do know is that I finish things, and now that I’m working on chapter 19, I can actually envision both books being done. That’s new. That feels real.
All on Me
I make the podcast with my wife. I make my comics with the help of amazing artists. I’m important and integral to those processes, but they’re team efforts and I love that about them. These two novels are different. They come entirely from my brain to the page. I have alpha and beta readers whose feedback is essential, and this community is part of what keeps me going, but in the end it’s just me out on the stage.
Approaching 400 pages written since September, I’m starting to truly understand that these are serious things, things I built on my own. Part of what helps is sharing the process with you. If you can see the scaffolding, the small pieces I fit together to make something you hopefully enjoy, maybe that inspires you to build something too. Making isn’t for everyone, but whenever I read something I love, I want to write and I know I’m not the only one who feels that way. That’s why this community exists.
Schedule
Podcast listeners know we’ve had a genuinely wild stretch lately. Tornadoes and family members being hospitalized are just a small part of it. Thank you for your patience, here’s the latest:
March 6 — Weekly Blog
March 12 — Weekly Blog
March 17 — Preview release to the world
March 20 — Weekly Blog
March 27 — Weekly Blog
March 31 — Patreon open for sign-ups
April 3 — Weekly Blog
April 10 — Weekly Blog
April 17 — Weekly Blog
April 21 — Motte & Bailey, Chapter 4
April 23 — Blackstone Chronicles, Chapter 4
April 24 — Top Tier Weekly Blog
April 28 — Motte & Bailey, Chapter 5
April 30 — Blackstone Chronicles, Chapter 5
May 1 — Top Tier Weekly Blog
This is tentative, of course, life has proven lately that it has opinions about schedules. But I’m so glad you’re here for the journey.
Just keep going. It will be okay. I have had, recently, one teaching job end with no renewal in sight. Another teaching job drop from two classes to one. A third teaching job take its sweet time to pay me (I’m an adjunct professor). So, right now, I don’t know if I can make the rent.
It will be okay.
I have listened to y’all for YEARS. LOVE the podcasts.
In the end, life works its magic and everything gets figured out. Just keep on plugging.