New Blog, New Design, New Book

So I redesigned this blog, renamed it, and give it a general, over-all face lift.

Why?

Mainly because I realized the old one wasn't working. It wasn't who I am, or even who I want to be. It was all too writer-ish. I want to be a writer so bad that I often make the number one writer's amateur mistake (and I can already see my wife smiling): I focus more on wanting to be a writer than I do on actual writing! Can't be a writer if you don't write.

The problem was that my old blog was created to be a "writer's springboard". Phooey. No one in my life cares or wants to have a weekly writing prompt. What do they care about? My stories. My family. My life. That's where the entertainment lies.

There is only one problem, as my wife points out: I tend to repeat the same stories. In fact, sometimes the exact same stories happen twice. I watch myself (in an almost out-of-body experience) telling some friends a story about my life growing up, and, at the same time, I watch myself realizing that the very same incidents are happening to my own children now. History repeats itself, and so, it seems, do my stories.

I'm working on a writing project now. My fantasy book series is going on the backburner for now. No one wanted it right now (or at least, they didn't want it from me.) All I hear about in the writing world is platform, platform, platform, so I'm starting to build my writing audience. And with this realization came another quick on its heels: I already have an audience. And they want to hear my stories. Even if they repeat themselves.

The writing project I'm working on now is not an easy one. It covers my lifelong battle with a hereditary quick temper that often gets me into trouble and an addiction that has tried for over a decade to eat up my soul. I don't like confessing fault or guilt--I don't like being vulnerable. So this is not an easy book to write. I am approaching it through poetry and some original drawings (if I can make them good enough to ever publish).

So hold on tight, ever-watchers. There are plenty more stories where the first ones came from. And if I do ever run out, well, some stories will have to repeat themselves.