So I’ve been kind of off the grid for a bit.

Well…not posting here on this page, at the least. I’m not ignoring anyone – I’ve just been doing a lot of thinking. In my last post, I talked about how sometimes it’s more exciting to watch the story unfold in my head, and there are times when I simply don’t want to share what’s going on.

And that’s where I found myself. I was fortunate enough to spend the holiday weekend out a cabin with a bunch of friends (even got stuck out there one extra day due to poor weather conditions), and had a good time getting out my weekend routine for a bit. It was a nice break, and it gave me the chance to refill my cup and try to find some energy within myself.

But before you feel sorry for having been stuck in a small cabin for an extra day, you should know that inspiration struck. And I wrote a new bit of something…although I’m not sure exactly where it will take me. I’m not even sure when.

The point is, it was the first new bit of writing I had done in quite some time – and it felt fantastic, liberating in so many ways. My mind is always showing me stories, but it’s been rare of late that I actually feel compelled to write any of it down on paper, which only proves to me that what I wrote last week is so significant. Barely more than a page, but more than the piece I wrote that led to the book which I finally self-published about this time last year (I can’t believe it’s already been an entire year!). And as I said, I have absolutely no idea where this will lead me.

When you consider the fact that the first bit of writing, the piece I carried around for more than 18 months in my wallet and couldn’t figure out where to go with it, the words written on a piece of paper I eventually lost, never made it to the final cut of Not Alone on the Voyage, you will see and hopefully understand that the process, while a comfort to me in countless ways is a true mystery.

Ever since I wrote this new bit, it’s been playing in my head. Over. And over. And over. Running through my head, taking root in my brain, and waiting for its path to present itself. To flesh out the one character that came through to become a bit more solid (and I have honestly no idea where this one came from) and tell me the story. To give me an idea of the outline of what is to come, and what will become the next great tale in my collection.

Will it become a full-fledged story? I can’t really say right now. And that’s the beauty of the adventure. Even I don’t have the foggiest idea where it’s going to take me. All I have to do is hang on for the ride…