Remember

The longer I get into this journey of madness, despair, and thrill the more I realize I don’t really know what I’m doing. How many of you can admit that to strangers? Try it- its liberating to admit you make mistakes and are willing to adjust fire to get back on the target. They say in combat that an average of over 200 rounds are fired before a soldier is KIA. In baseball you are considered good if you can hit the ball 3 out of 10 times. Making mistakes, small failures, and more are all part of the maturation process and help build a better you.

As I adjust my publishing strategy to reflect the times, new knowledge I should have learned before starting out, and updating my what doesn’t work files, I am reminded of the past. Where we come from is easily as important as where we are going. Don’t you think? My opening salvo of Warfighter Books met with moderate success, but that was my fault. I wasn’t ready. I started the war too early. We’ll consider this a soft opening as I tighten the screws and double down on what I need to do in order to compete with the big boys.

As far as remembering goes- I have to. It keeps me grounded. There was a time, a glorious world before the internet and cell phones turned everyone crazy, when I would pen every manuscript by hand. It was a long process, being in the Army certainly didn’t help speed things up, but it was worth it. I was able to express my thoughts AND do a first rewrite/editing round when I got to typing it up. Sure, my hands often cramped after blasting through 5 or 6 sheets of double sided paper, but the therapy value in it was amazing. I long for a return to those simpler times (yes, I can admit the laptop has become my best friend).

The moral of this story is stay grounded. Remember where you came from as you head off into the great unknown.