Legionnaires who are paying the most attention would have noticed my absence yesterday in their inbox.
I heard the weeps and the sombre prayers.
I did.
So, what in Mordor brought about this silent sermon?
Did Master Liam’s baby brother take his first breath?
Nope.
Was there a technical hiccup that prevented me from emailing?
The survey says… uh-uh!
Did I sit down with the Dark Lord Sauron to urge the warming of our cold hearts?
I wish.
The truth is, I’ve been chewing on the idea of taking Sundays off for some time, more so as Lady Laura and I will be — any hour now — navigating the newborn trenches for the second time in 16 months whilst also wrangling an unruly toddler.
(Gods help us.)
Then there was the horror of last week in Utah.
Seeing a father abruptly taken away from his wife and two little ones really drove home that perhaps we could all benefit from shutting down the computer once a week to be more present, hang out with loved ones, engage in offline hobbies, or simply tick off those pesky jobs you’ve promised to do around the house for months now.
Will this silent sermon of mine last forever?
I’m not sure.
If I genuinely see and feel a net improvement, then yes, it likely will.
If not, then I’ll go back to daily broadcasts and chalk it up as a good experience.
Because if there’s one thing I’ve always championed, it’s this:
NEVER BE AFRAID TO TRY NEW STUFF.
It’s all too easy to stay in one lane for years and years, driving past the same signs on the same roads at the same speed, totally oblivious that our car (us) is ageing before our very eyes.
Do not make the mistake of thinking this is me advocating radical change, either.
There’s a time and a place to burn the bridge behind you, but 90% of the time, radical change can end up causing more harm than good. What I AM saying, however (sticking with the driving analogy), is that it’s healthy to go up a gear and drop into a different lane for a few miles.
You see things you otherwise wouldn’t have seen.
Learn things you otherwise wouldn’t have learned.
So when you do drop back into your regular lane, you’re bringing with you newfound knowledge and enthusiasm, which is never a bad thing.
It’s what I have been doing with the Legion since its inception and, yes, it is what I’ve been doing with my books for years, too. Every instalment in The Divided Region explored a different lane.
Some novels were typed while others were dictated via speech (not in the fascist sense).
Some were outlined heavily, others not.
Some instalments are longer than others.
And even as we move into Book #6 of the series, the experimentation doesn’t cease. For this one, I’m tossing outlines out of the window altogether, which is something I’ve wanted to do for years but lacked the bollocks to do so for one reason or another.
“IF YOU NEVER TRY, YOU NEVER FIND OUT.”
^^ There are no truer words than that, my brethren.
It’s led to some amazing highs, lows, and moments that otherwise would have never existed had I not jumped out of my lane to improve my craft and nail my writing process.
Moments you can read or listen to here:
https://djjwatsonstore.com/products/TDR-Bundle
DJJW