Turning a Cold Engine (Until It Starts)

Ugh. It’s been a minute, hasn’t it?

There are a lot of different reasons — also known as excuses — as to why I haven’t written for a while. Family emergencies, day-job stresses, COVID fogs, the world appearing to be riding a greased rail to hell… What can I say? The past couple of years have not been my most productive.

And with that, comes the guilt. People are out there getting things done — people with far less free time than I have are writing 12 novels a year, blogging every day and are rising and grinding. I’ve listened to the podcasts, seen the webinars and tried to get things going as, in my mind, every other author on the face of the planet has moved miles ahead and are living their dreams.

I can tell you that guilt is not a great fuel for getting things done. If it were, I’d be out there grinding with the best of them, living said dreams.

Also with the guilt comes the self-imposed “lazy” label. “Well, how bad do you want it?” the drill instructor in my mind demands? “Enough to go kill it?”

My brain is an asshole at times.

I’m a firm believer in that you can’t wait until the “spirit” moves you to write. What’s that old saying? “Be in your chair at the computer regularly so inspiration will know where to find you.”

I feel like I’ve been drained for the past few months — I won’t go into all the details and bleed out on this blog, but it’s been a bit of a journey. Still, waiting for the “right” time to write will result in, well, a big, fat pile of nothing.

The clouds seem to be lifting, now, however, and the ice is cracking. I finally finished a prequel novella, Lillian, to go with the series I’m about to start (and that I’ve been writing in my head for the past few months, where it can stay, perfect in form, safe and sound where no one can read it).

I’ve also revamped and updated this website (if you see anything that doesn’t look right, please let me know at info@davidfalkirk.com, and I’ll thank you for it). The newsletter apparatus is updated, and three free novellas/short stories are ready for download.

(If you’re not part of my newsletter gang, you should consider signing up and getting the stories and other stuff I’ll be sending — it’s free both from a money and spam standpoint.

Anyway, I’ve decided to go ahead and give myself a break. Guilt, labels and all the rest aren’t going to get the job done.

Writing Career 2.0 is a go!