A little over a year ago I hit my two-hundredth post on I make stories. Yesterday, I hit number four-hundred. For the sake of tradition, I figured it’d be a good time to pause and reflect on where I am now. The intent of this blog has always been to document this journey. Share whatever it is, whatever it becomes, with whoever wants to read it.
Two-hundred posts ago I had just released The Stars Were Right and I was about to face a series of weeks without any book sales. I still was months away from handing a manuscript of Old Broken Road over to Lola, my editor. Early spring of 2014 was rough, despite my brave face.
Here I am fifteen months later. I now have well over a thousand books sold. I have three conventions under my belt. I’ve done a couple of live readings. Red Litten World is in Lola’s hands and trucking right along. I’m nearly done with with my new project: O.D.E. and I’ve started outline The Bell Forging Cycle Book IV which has a title (you’ll have to wait for that.) Things aren’t fully sustainable, not just yet. I still work a day job, writing is still a side project, but each day gets me closer.
I know new challenges lay ahead. I’ll face new struggles in the years to come. But I have faced struggles before. I can’t tell you how many times in the past that I have considered giving up. So many times I have felt beat down and exhausted. I have been afraid, angry, and frustrated. But I didn’t let any of those things stop me. I kept going. I kept writing. I kept blogging. I kept releasing. I kept at it.
A big thanks should go out to my readers, you’re the reason I do this. Thanks to everyone who supported me for the last few years. Thanks to everyone who bought my books. Thanks to all of you who helped spread the word, and those of you who spent the time to leave reviews. It means a lot. I wouldn’t be here without you.
I’m not going to dwell for long. There are another two-hundred posts ahead of me and another two-hundred beyond that. Milestones are meant to be passed. I’ll see you at six-hundred.
Filed under: News Tagged: conventions, o.d.e., old broken road, reflection, the bell forging cycle, the stars were right, writing
