Procrastination can be a terrible thing. Because this book project is more of a hobby and passion, a combination of life and other hobbies tend to get in the way of my progress on my book. I tell myself on the way to work in the morning that “I will work on the book tonight after dinner”. But I end up doom scrolling. I keep telling myself “I’m going to spend this weekend working on the book”. But I end up doing chores, visiting family, or knitting while watching youtube. It’s discouraging. This project that started out as a writing exercise and later became a book that I dreamt of publishing, and still do, feels like it’s book stalled by my own laziness. And I’ve become comfortable in that laziness, though I’m not happy or even content about it. I have always wanted to be a published writer. But I’m standing in my own way.
Another thing that has been discouraging me is the the rise of AI and the decline in freedom that people have with the books they can own. I’ve been watching booktube talk about this topic at length. And in my mind I think “What’s the point of publishing my anything? No one will see it and if they do it won’t gain traction. AI will see it and use it to make its slop, thus burrying my work even deeper into the abyss of the internet.”
I write because I enjoy it. I love the worldbuilding and character creation. I love the challenge and the creativity. Writing and reading have been my companions for many years. And they are often companions that people around me do not understand or care to know anything about. I do not want my dreams that these companions have helped me foster turn to dust by the possibility of dystopia. I am going to try something. I am going to try to write some short stories set in the world I am building, Hollow Mortes, and publish them on my website for others to read for free. I think this will get me out of my slump and help me to grow as a writer, help my website grow, and get me closer to finishing my book.
Dreams are like houseplants. They can live for a time in neglect, but they still need care from time to time. My plants need tending, and I will do all I can to keep them alive.
Please feel free to visit my site’s About page and learn more about Hollow Mortes. I also have the 1st chapter of my book available to read on my Works in Progress page. If you like what you see please leave a comment and subscribe. It helps a lot.
Thank you!
-V.D. Flask
Welcome to Hollow Mortes! 