I’ve taken a bit of a break from social media these last few months, and I haven’t been posting on my blog nearly as much as I would like.

It’s all a bit overwhelming at the moment, and I feel like I’ve been getting tumbled by waves the whole time. But now we’re up for air and ready to keep on swimming—if you’ll pardon the rather cringey metaphor.

Lately, it seems like everyone is doing it a bit tough, so at least I can rest assured that I’m not alone in all of this. However, tough times don’t mean we can give up. Instead, this is the perfect time to dig deep and push through, especially because it’s going to be so much better on the flip side!

One of my biggest challenges recently has been doubt, especially with regard to my writing and content. I like exploring new ideas, and have come to understand that my ‘free spirit’ kind of mentality does not do well with ‘niching down’ or specifying. As a result, my views and interactions went down and I did start to feel a little discouraged. I understand the advice, and do my best to stay consistent, but boy it can feel a bit weird asking questions about people’s favourite books or the latest trope they read when I’m reading about the gruelling experiences of Aboriginal people during the colonisation of Australia. Sadly, my attempts to make more meaningful conversation about the books I’m reading have been unsuccessful so far! (I am holding out hope that this will be more popular one day!)

Unfortunately, my doubt also extended to my writing. I started blog posts and abandoned them soon after, fearing that I simply was not ready to write about such big topics, or to do all the research required. I am still in university after all, and my assessments are taking their toll. No one likes to feel as if the things they do aren’t good enough, so I took a break to regroup.

As for my novels, I have been steadily writing snippets here and there, but not enough to keep ahead of my deadlines. I’m actually supposed to be publishing a book next month, (hopefully before Christmas!) but challenges have abounded and it’s starting to get frustrating.

Even so, I love the work, and I love the story. It’s been a hard road getting to say that, but I am becoming more proud of my work everyday. Not everyone gets to say they’ve published a book, and fewer people get to say that they’re about to publish their second! I am incredibly grateful, and glad that all my hard work has paid off. Now I just need to get some more sales…

In all seriousness, I am keen to see where this series goes. I genuinely think it has potential, not just because its mine haha, but because I am writing it to explore the political structures we see in today’s world in a slightly different fantasy world. I think history, politics, philosophy, theology, and linguistics nerds will have fun reading the work, and I’m sure that as the world grows and the story continues there will be enough twists, turns, and heartbreaks to capture hearts. Maybe you’ll have to read it and let me know!

Anyway, I’m looking forward to posting more on socials and interacting with more people from all around the world. It’s already incredible to see all the places my videos and posts are reaching, and I really enjoy the conversations that I’m having with those who interact with me. I can’t wait to see how it all goes!

Until next time,

Chris