AWOL

The blog I had before this one? I forgot about it a lot. Months between posts. I think the longest was almost a year.

When I began this blog in January 2022, I swore I’d do better. I’d post once a week. And I did. Every Friday at 6:00 AM.

Then came November, otherwise known as Hell Month. That’s not an exaggeration, either. Won’t go into details, but I honestly thought I was losing my mind. And for the first time since January 2022, I made no posts. For the entire month.

Everything changed December 1, and for the better, I’m relieved to say. I was in recovery, but I still managed to make three posts. January 2023, one post. None in February. And this one, at the tail end of March.

To be fair, I haven’t been idle. I’ve been busy. Really busy. Setting up my new editing business. Trawling for clients. Snagged a few, too. Ran a contest with another editor for a free copyedit. That took more of my time than I thought it would, so that’s something to remember when we run it again come November. Creating 1-page flyers with writing tips. Eight, so far. Mentoring a newbie author. I’ve never done that before, and wow, is it gratifying. This guy is on fire. He told me he feels like I let something loose in him. Just wow.

But the best thing? I’ve gotten more writing done in the last three months than I had in all of 2022 and the last half or so of 2021. Skeleton chapters fleshed out. New chapters. I’m hoping to launch by the end of the year, but we’ll have to see how the $$ situation goes. For the first time in my life, I don’t have a steady paycheck. That doesn’t bother me, but I’ve learned something. About the “being employed” mindset, at least for me. Which is: “There’s more where that came from, so fuck it. It’s a tax write-off.”

Wait. I take that back. Getting the writing done isn’t the best thing, although it’s real, real close. No, the best thing is feeling at peace. Finally doing with my life what I want to do. And I’m gonna do it up to the fullest because I may not have that much of it left.

So, here I am. In the winter of my years, embarking on a new adventure. In a place where I’ve wanted to be for over two decades.

Freedom. Sweet, sweet freedom.