It has been more than a year since I finally released my novel “Daredevil” into the world. I learned quite a lot through the adventure of self-publishing from hiring an editor and cover designer, formatting for both e-book and paperback versions, and reaching out to the world of Bookstagram and BookTok to promote the novel. 

One year later, I made a career change, leaving my full-time job leading Analyst Relations for a cybersecurity company, and returning to the AR/PR consulting practice I’d managed for nearly 30 years prior to taking that job. I had the idea that at this stage of my life, going back to consulting would allow me to scale back a bit, work a few less hours, and contemplate my “next act” which I hoped might involve writing a new novel and continuing to promote “Daredevil”. While my business had been quite successful during the previous 30 years, I worried there might no longer be a demand, and that I might struggle to drum up business. Instead, I was fortunate to sign two clients immediately, and actually had to turn one away. This was a positive result and certainly quelled my fears about client demand but my initial idea – to start scaling back on my full-time career a bit in favor of writing – would have to be placed on the back burner.

Here and there, I’d put out a social media post about “Daredevil”, enter a contest, or pitch a random book account. I also submitted the novel to a publisher specializing in work written by women of a certain age since they accepted self-published work, then promptly forgot about it. Until a few months ago when the publisher reached out to me and told me they’d like to re-publish my novel.

I thought long and hard about the opportunity. It was certainly appealing as the publisher would put my novel through another, rigorous copy edit, consider alternative cover designs, and most of all, work with me on a marketing plan that could help gain more visibility and exposure for the book. On the other hand, I thought about my busy full-time job, the commitment required to execute such a marketing plan, and most of all, the question that had been nagging me for the past year since self-publishing my book: WHAT’S NEXT?

As someone who has felt compelled, driven – even fated – to write my entire life, the fact that my writing had come to a complete standstill during the past year was maddening. It wasn’t just a lack of ideas for a next novel or work, it was a total and complete lack of passion for writing itself. I couldn’t seem to muster a single blog, no short stories, barely a journal entry. I seemed unable to do what had come so naturally to me most of my life. 

Some readers of “Daredevil” asked for a sequel. I thought about this, even jotted down a few random ideas. In desperation, I fed my novel into ChatGPT and asked it what kind of sequel it might design for my book (I don’t recommend the latter to anyone, by the way, and what it spewed gave me hope that there will always be a need for creative writers in the world). Nothing sparked the desire to write.

Besides the usual business of life, and the return to my consulting business which quickly filled my days, the state of the country and the world weighed heavily on me. What could I do? Protests, letter-writing, calls to my representatives – all of this seemed futile in the face of a non-stop parade of the most unthinkable actions by a corrupt administration. Writing seemed almost unbearable in the face of this; how could I spend my time creating when the world was on the verge of chaos and destruction?

The bottom line is that I had lost my mojo. So when it came time to make a decision on the re-publishing of my novel, my first instinct was to say no. How could I afford the time? Why would I bother if I wasn’t going to continue writing? What was the point of it all anyway?

But yesterday, something made me say yes after all. 

My life is busy but certainly not close to how busy it was when I originally wrote “Daredevil”. I don’t have a stunning idea for my next novel percolating yet but maybe with a bit more time, it will come to me. 

I haven’t been writing regularly but maybe the prospect of someone taking the time to revisit “Daredevil” and build a real marketing and promotional plan for it will inspire me to push forward. 

This country is in chaos and there is so much cruelty and insanity around us but maybe I have a tiny glimmer of hope from those fighting the good fight that things might get better. 

Maybe, just maybe, sitting down and writing this blog is the first step to rediscovering my joy for writing.

Stay tuned for news about the relaunch of “Daredevil”, tentatively scheduled for Fall 2026.