Steven Symes

I’ve cleaned house on my blog, wiping away everything I wrote before. While it is a symbolic move, it’s also a way for me to shift how I’m treating my writing career. Turning over a new leaf, I’ve written this introductory blog post to address one of the most fundamental things about me: why I write.

That probably seems like a silly question, like asking why a baker bakes or a mason lays bricks. If you don’t really know anything about me, maybe it doesn’t seem silly, because it’s unknown what kind of writer I am. After all, everyone knows people who occasionally will produce some written text, yet they loudly proclaim they are professional writers. They’re actually quite common, but I’m not of that ilk. Writing is how I pay for everything, which means every day I’m producing written text, far more than most people would ever see, because that’s part of the craft. I take this work quite seriously. It is, after all, hard work even though I’m not exactly exerting myself physically, other than getting hand cramps from typing all day.

I write about cars full-time, including about the automotive industry and the many interesting cultures which have sprung up among enthusiasts. It’s a topic for which I have deep passion and it grows the more I learn. You could say I didn’t choose the automotive writing life, it chose me, and you wouldn’t be entirely wrong.

Writing provides my daily bread, but for me the act of writing isn’t just a task I do exclusively to earn money. Don’t get me wrong: an income is important, but writing is more of a lifestyle, a deep commitment which gives my life greater meaning. This isn’t just some job.

Stories live inside my head. I know other writers who say the same thing. While that might sound fun, sometimes it’s downright maddening. Too often, a story keeps pushing to come out, but I’m not able to write it fully. As time goes on that becomes easier to handle, but it’s time for me to get back into the swing of things and start producing fiction for people to read. I haven’t published a novel since September 20 of 2012, which is an awfully long dry spell. Taking that long of a break wasn’t intentionally, but it’s time to end it.

However, just because I haven’t been publishing books doesn’t mean I haven’t been keeping busy. In a later post I might give some insight into what I’ve been up to lately. I can say the much-awaited sequel to Gracie the Ghost Eater is in edits right now, a book readers continue to ask about. From there I have some ambitious plans but I’m working behind the curtain, so don’t expect any kind of reveal until those projects are ready for everyone’s eyes.

Telling stories is in my blood and has been since long before I could read and write. It’s part of who I am, giving meaning to my life. I know not everyone has the benefit of having a life calling which they have readily identified, so I feel incredibly fortunate and blessed. People can try to shun, silence, or even shame me, but I will continue to write, because that is my calling. Whether I’m writing about a 1963 Chevrolet Corvette or a character going through a painful transition in their life, I will continue to write. And I doubt I will ever run out of things to write about, because life is rich and full of inspiration.

This is my writing blog, where I will give you a peek at what I’m thinking, maybe sometimes what I’m working on, and the process of being a full-time writer.

Image by Steven Symes. All rights reserved for this blog post text and the accompanying photograph.