Hello, dreamers.

As I may have mentioned, this year I’m doing things a little differently with NaNoWriMo. Rather than starting a new novel, I’ve instead begun work again on the next novel in my Pioneers series, The Pioneer Era.

By necessity, the initial stage of this process involves reading through what I’ve already written, and seeing what’s salvageable. I’ve known for some time roughly where Dawn of the Pioneers went off the rails, and I’ll admit I’d been dreading that point. Part of me feared I’d simply lost my voice. That my attempts to catch lighting in a bottle again were for not. For nearly a year, I’d been convinced I’d already written the single best thing I would ever write. And for an aspiring, as-yet-unpublished writer in his thirties, that was a depressing thought.

But a lot can change in a short time. Suffice to say, this is a year unlike any other most of us have experienced. And while 2020 has been a rough ride for me in many respects, in some unexpected ways I’ve found moments of joy. And somehow, in those moments, I found my voice again.

Over the past few nights, I completed my first new chapter in almost a year. As expected, it will completely change the course of the story going forward. But I’m happy with it. For the first time in a long time, I’m proud of what I’ve written. I’m happy with my work.

Even as I was writing these new passages, I could feel the story forming ahead of me. It finally feels organic. I can sense where this is all headed. I see the path ahead. And I am ready.

This new story is more grounded. It’s a more human story, as The Pioneers was, centered not on interstellar politics and intrigue, but on people. It better captures the core idea behind The Pioneers, and the planned series it begins: how humans can make the same mistakes under different circumstances, and how our past can inform our future.

The coming week will be difficult. There will be more writing; much more. The work will only get harder from here, as I ditch more and more of the existing story, replacing it with new passages and chapters. But I believe in what I’m writing. I believe it’s important, for the first time in a while.

And that’s more than enough. Have a good weekend, dreamers. Stay safe, and as always, dare to dream. – MK