As an unpublished writer who works full-time with a forty-five minute commute to a mentally challenging job, I have found it difficult at times to put pen to paper or fingers to keyboard. By “at times”, I of course mean almost every day.

Siege isn’t just my farewell to characters I’ve developed and loved over the years; it is also a training tool. When I started writing Siege, I made the conscious decision to write a thousand words per day on the story. Generally speaking, that meant I would grab a quick bite on my lunch break and spend the rest of the time pounding away on the keyboard. I stuck with it longer than I thought I would—nearly two full months, producing over fifty thousand words of prose which may or may not be any good.

I don’t know how these writing experiments will turn out. I don’t know whether I’ll ever be a published writer. I don’t know if my stories will be read by anyone other than a few visitors to this site.

I do know that, regardless of publication, I need to do this. I do know I have stories to tell that at least a few people will find enjoyable. I do know that if I don’t make the conscious commitment to writing, I won’t ever get it done. I do know that if I set goals and rules for myself, I can produce an amazing amount of work in a not-very-long period of time.

Writing is like anything else worth doing—it requires commitment and investment. I hope you get as much out of my scribblings as I do.