It’s been a month and a day, Patsy. And things are most certainly, above all else, going.

We’re driving into the New Year with an abandon that roller-coaster enthusiasts would caution against. I wish I could tell you the insane things that have happened this month, but, in short: there was an insurrection, an impeachment, an inauguration, and something something GameStop holding stocks economic babble I don’t really understand something something.

Either way, you haven’t missed much.

I’m shocked we’re as far as we are into the new year, actually. I know they say the days slip away the older you get (With actual math behind that theory to prove it, as in every day you’re alive means every day is a smaller and smaller fraction of your overall life. This explains why Saturdays felt like lifetimes when you were six years old but go by in a blink when you’re 40), but this is a little silly. We’re a month in and what have I done?

That’s right. It’s another surprise “What Am I Doing With My Life?” blog. Welcome, everyone. We’re about to go into very charted waters.

It hasn’t been a total waste. I’ve received a few responses from literary agents, all “No” responses, but still, and they were all extremely helpful. It’s back to the grindstone for a while as I need to properly plan and expand a story to nearly twice its original length. I’m essentially writing a second, shorter, book to add on.

This goes against every bit of writing advice that gets floated around the Writing Twittosphere, where you’re supposed to cut, Cut, CUT, but not in this instance. The agents that replied all noted some sort of pacing issue. They liked the characters, they liked the concept, but all said a pacing issue was present. The last agent who replied finally cracked the shell: It’s not long enough.

My original concept for Project: GREY was going fall into the book length space of R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps books, all clocking in around 20-25,000 words. Short enough that the kids who read it won’t be put off by its size, but long enough to hold their attention and improve their reading skills. Turns out, they seem to think it needs to be longer.

To expand. To give room. To breathe.

The featured image is taken from the Pokémon official Facebook page. It popped up in my Memories today because I loved the caption: Friendly reminder from Treeko & Torchic: it’s okay to go at your own pace.

We’re a month into the New Year and so much has already happened. While we’re over the orange, cancerous hump of the late 2010s, the train doesn’t stop. It’s easy to fall into the “hustle all the time” mindset of thinking we have no more wasted days. Maybe that’s true. Maybe success only comes from giving up your whole sense of self and devote everything you do to the thing you do.

That’s what I would say if I was a motivational blog or if that was my brand. But, nope. My brand is, “Barely Held Together Writing Website With a Bit of Nerd Infusion.”

Now you see why I’m not popular, Patsy. That was never the point, though.

The point is to tell stories to inspire kids to do great things. I admired your complete lack of caring in what others thought. That everything should be done in the greater pursuit of having a good time. Well, if I’m having a good time chasing this silly dream to entertain and help kids with my stories, then…

Every day I live should be spent doing that. No more wasted days.

Unless it’s a Saturday. We rest and watch cartoons with the boys on Saturdays.

I think you’d approve of that.

Thanks for reading,

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Contact: robertmichaelacosta@gmail.com