Time

We get to live.

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These are turbulent times for many of us. Regardless of which side of the election you’ve been on, it has been a tiring process. I’ve been thinking about life, the greater experience, what it means to be on opposite sides, whether we are ever ‘enemies’ or only just people on opposite sides of a divide.

I got to sit and talk about life, and philosophy, and existence with my lifelong friend Eastin today after class. It was something I think I sorely needed–I think we can all stand to take some time, and talk about all that is, all that could be, all that might or might not be true. There’s so much to be grateful for, there’s so much to question and to contemplate.

Let’s not forget that. Let’s not forget to put down the phones and turn off the screens and talk, not contentiously, not to ‘win’, but just talk.

It is of fundamental human importance.

Here was a thought I had today:

We get to live; express ourselves; chase dreams and love people; fight and make peace and keep searching for something in this wild world. What could possibly be more beautiful than that?

I love you all.

Evan

Anticipation.

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legends2

So in case you haven’t heard my barrage of tweets and posts, here’s a giant banner to tell you Tomorrow is the release of WHISKEY.

I don’t even know how to put it into words. Like an emotion sandwich. Anticipation is a magical and terrible thing.

From a totally primal sense, it’s strange to think about the idea of knowing what’s about to happen. Not that we know exactly, but we know generally. It’s a survival tool. Millions of years of evolution.

Now we tend to use it for other things. Excitement as you count down the days until you get to see someone you love again. Dread for fear of some oncoming work. The tantalizing ghost-taste of the food your about to eat as you wait for the server to bring it to you.

In my case, I’m using it to dream up a perfect scenario where BOOK 2 is beloved by all and the series becomes huge, simultaneously while imagining a scenario where no one gives a damn and people think it’s meh and I’m back to the drawing board. Like Schroedinger’s cat, both are true at once right now.

But there aren’t two absolute outcomes.

I think I know what the most likely outcome is.

A good portion of those who read HOOD will read WHISKEY. People will largely love it and be excited for BOOK 3, and some will hate it or find it meh, but overall I will now have two books under my belt and more people will be more interested in the series since it isn’t as much as a ‘promise of future books.’ In short, I’m bettering my career.

I believe in my own writing. I believe in my ability to learn and grow. I believe that the risks I took in my stories are going to be something readers really love–Especially when they see where the story is going.

This is the story I’ve been wanting to tell for years. I take an incredible amount of pride and joy in telling it, and how much people have enjoyed it or hated it so far.

So anticipation is going to do its thing. My mind is going to wonder and wander and try to conjure up the future. But I don’t know what’s gonna happen, nobody knows what’s going to happen. That’s what is awesome about the future.

So as the hours count down, I’m going to enjoy this feeling, and just embrace whatever comes.

Have a good tomorrow peeps, now and always.

Evan Pickering

Snowed In With No More Time

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There’s just never enough time.

On monday, my life becomes crazy again. So naturally, I’m trying to shoe-horn way too much into two days, while trying to ‘relax’.

But I can only spend so many hours a day marketing and formatting Hood for Print-on-Demand.

A man has his limits.

This should be by all rights a fun, relaxing blizzardy day. I suppose the only person stopping that from happening is me. There’s just too much I need to do. Too much I want to get done, too many things within my control.

Being an Indie Author is awesome; you control every element of your writing, of your production, you are the executor of your own grand designs.

But it also is just so, so much to do.

First off, I need to get started on the next book in the American Rebirth Series. Number one way to better your career-WRITE MORE BOOKS. I also need to continue my marketing campaign, and I need to put in hours for my other job, and I need to shovel the driveway (damn you Jonas!)

Blah Blah Blah.

One thing I try to remember, which I usually do a terrible job of remembering, is to set some reasonable expectations for my day. Or at least just demarcate what is doable for one human in one snowed in apartment.

Otherwise, I’ll end up like I am now. Stressed out, not feeling any satisfaction for anything I get done.

So this is my diary for today. My typographical catharsis. Brain cleanse.

DEAR EVAN,

RELAX. EVERYTHING IS FINE. YOU’RE DOING GREAT. YOU’RE GOING TO KEEP FURTHERING THE BOOK’S SUCCESS. TAKE A DEEP BREATH. ENJOY ALL THIS. THERE’S ONLY ONE JONAS TODAY.

CONFUSINGLY,

EVAN