I have been away for some time. A little over two years in fact. I’ve tried to start writing again off and on with varying (read: none) success. Call it exhaustion, call it mental health, call it motivation, call it whatever you want. I’ve felt that I’ve been so prolific in the past (during my college career and beyond) that I’ve run out of things to write about. I’ve also felt that I just need to shift what I write about. One thing I realize I’ve never been good about is planning and outlining.
So, this begins a new shift in my writing and my goals. I’ve always known I want to write for a greater audience than just myself. The how of that will always be the challenge, whether in marketing, sharing, or the actual writing. I’ve been working through a novel (The Fall of New Brooklyn) but I’ve felt myself both slowing down and speeding up all at the same time. I pressured myself into writing and sharing more, which lead what I felt were short and rushed chapters. And then I hit a block. I have a vague idea of where I want the story to end up, but I’ve never really taken to the time to plan it out and outline it. As I’m trying to work more on longer form fiction (I’ve typically written short fiction and poetry, almost exclusively), I’ve realized the need and importance of planning.
So, while there likely won’t be any new progress in The Fall of New Brooklyn immediately, know that I have no intention of abandoning the project. But, I need to figure out what I want to happen with it, and that’s going to take some time. I have a few chapters or so left of Rise, Rise that I’ve yet to post, so I’ll be sharing those soon (I’ve already shared chapter thirteen here). This is the first long form piece of fiction that I finished, and it’s from my undergrad. I have every intention of revising and editing, but I thought it’d be fun to share the first, original draft.
Poetry is still a focus of mine, but this is where I need to figure out what I still have to write about. This may take some time. I have ideas floating around in my head and notes, so we’ll see if anything comes to fruition.
I fully intend to keep writing. I intend to begin self publishing. Thanks for following along on my journey. I hope you continue to enjoy reading what I write, and I look forward to your feedback and company as I continue my journey.
Jacob Kolasch 