Words of Wicksdom

Sometimes, I avoid reading and consuming widely acclaimed books, movies, and television series out of fear that I might accidentally stumble onto something I accidentally “borrow” down the line.

But the truth is that everything I have already watched and read have influenced the future choices I will ultimately make when my fingers hit the keyboard. Bits of this and that from classic shows and movies have inspired me in ways that will likely subconsciously show up in whatever I produce.

This is not a preemptive excuse to copy plot points or steal storylines, but an open acknowledgement that being original is going to be much harder than I care to admit.

Is it possible to write science fiction/fantasy in 2025 that is wholly 100% original with nothing previously seen anywhere else? I dunno, but waiting to put all of the elements together is IMO essentially an invitation to procrastinate in fear of failing to achieve perfection on the first draft.

The sooner I get the story out of my head and onto the word processor, the better. There will be plenty of time for edits and plot corrections later. All serious writers, published and otherwise, already know this, but it is helpful to remind myself of this as well.

Having finally retired from my full time day job, I am ready to give this space some serious attention. There have been lots of changes in my personal life since I first acquired this domain back in the day, however, the creative things on my to-do list that has not changed. My desire to get some novels written, an album produced, and a collection of comics published have not dimmed in the slightest; but I am presumably now in the fourth quarter of my existence, and I am well overdue in getting some points on the scoreboard.

It is often said that one should never announce in advance what they are going to do and just do it. I am going to be the contrarian, however, and simply point my bat in the rafters the same way Babe Ruth used to do and just go for it.

In the meanwhile, I will also document the wins, the losses, and the draws along the way, including my ongoing journey in the pursuits of amateur radio, emergency preparedness, as well as the occasional observation of popular culture and current events.

Fingers crossed, I will be a regular in these parts for some time to come. Feel free to grab some popcorn, and join me for the festivities.