Time to Refocus
Prose Night at the Writing Life, 9 May 2026
You ever get the feeling that what you’re trying isn’t quite working? This weekend, I started getting that feeling about my writing.
I’ve written three novels, in 2019, 2023, and 2025. I’m proud of each of them. I’ve gotten plenty of support for my work from fellow writers, independent book store owners, and others.
I think those books are a full reflection of the level of ability and effort I had. I know I gave everything I had to write those books. I think there’s interesting stories, characters, and worlds in those stories.
The problem is I’m not sure I ever considered who might be interested in reading them.
If I’m going to pinpoint what I didn’t get right the first time with my first three novels (and there might be more than a few things I didn’t get right), a major theme riding through at least the first two novels was a tendency to get too cute with how I created them.
I mean, take a gander at my first novel - The Holy Fool: A Journalist’s Revolt. Holy heck, doesn’t that just trip off the tongue? More like stumble and trip off it. And then The Yank Striker: A Footballer’s Beginning? A little better, but still clunky1. The Yank Striker’s Journey is a good one, though.
And another thing. The books I’ve written so far… they’ve got some pretty unique subject matter and themes, don’t they? I mean, not too many people are into journalism thrillers, even though in recent times I’ve had some renewed interest in The Holy Fool when I bring it to book shows. And a soccer drama series is extremely niche.
I have to admit I wrote my books because of my interest in the themes they discussed - the slow decline of American journalism and the culture of soccer. I didn’t write them necessarily thinking of who might be interested in them.
Last weekend at the DSM Book Festival, I was at a panel of Midwestern-based writers and I enjoyed their thoughts on fiction in our region. At one point, they discussed what their favorite Midwest writers and books were, such as Marilyn Robinson, Bill Bryson, and others. And I was sitting there thinking, Oh, shoot, I never got into any of those people. I was more into science fiction, fantasy, and Stephen King2, among others. But now, I think I’m finally about to write something that might be properly Midwest and properly horror. The more I talk about it to people, the more people are interested in it.
So, although I’m not going to by any means disavow my previous work, I do want to focus on the new work in progress, complete it, get it done right, and find the right publisher to take it on, even if that publisher in the end is me. I want this next book to get the attention of everyone who reads it, and I can’t wait to eventually share it with you.
“What’s a Yank?” - one of my students who found my work online.
And Stephen is a Maine or New England regional writer, not a horror writer. Get that straight. 🤣
Jason - great overview of where you feel you are in your career as a writer. I too am reaching a possible crossroads. My comic strip is gaining subscribers, people comment on them, some even restack some of them...and yet the one hurdle still seems elusive - monetization. I'm aware of what more I could do about that, yet juggling so much just to do what I do is a strain, and it sometimes makes me wonder to what end is this effort all being directed towards.
So for you to be asking parallel questions on who your readers are, where they are, and how to balance what you love to write about with what your readers want to read from you is bracing honesty that is needed. It's a real pressure - you don't want to play to the gallery, yet you care enough about who's in it to where you want to give the best of yourself while also addressing what they want to see in you. Just doing what you feel like sometimes isn't enough, yet catering to others also isn't enough - you do have to satisfy yourself first, because that's where your best is.
The fact that I'm gaining traction in one sense while not in another is frustrating. I'm not giving up, and the questions you're asking yourself are you also saying you're not giving up.