Why Am I Here

I've been reading a lot about bloggers getting fatigue and having guilt for neglecting their blogs. Many times, us creative types, tend to be very motivated in the beginning and eventually run out of steam. I know I've been guilty of that many times. I cannot lie, it's hard to make constant posts and keep things fresh in hopes that your readers stay entertained. There is a certain amount of pressure which is more self imposed than anything else. If I stopped blogging, would anyone really care or notice? Some people might, but I think I put more pressure on myself than what anyone expects of me. So, this got me thinking.

Why am I here?

I don't mean, why am I here on planet earth. I know to some great extent what my purpose is - my amazing wife and children remind me of that everyday. My question is really about why am I blogging and for what purpose. When I started this blog I thought it would be me rambling about books - children's books - with the hopes that I might connect with like-minded people who have the same interests. What has come from this blog is greater than what I could have ever imagined. The friendships alone have been astonishing.

But again, why am I here?

I'm HERE because I LOVE children's books. I love every story, style, form, length, subject, and most of all, those who create them. Celebrating children's literature has become a way of life for me.

Here's the best part.

For a long time I was conflicted with what I wanted to write. On one hand I love wacky goofy comedy. Especially those middle grade books that make me laugh out loud and bring a smile to my face every time I think about them. On the other hand I love dark horror. The books that give me the creeps and make me look over my shoulder when I walk up the stairs at night. You always hear that you should focus on a genre that you love and write that. But what if you love polar opposite genres? What do you do?

Here's what you do. You write both of them! You switch hit. Write a middle grade comedy with heart, then write a dark YA horror that freaks the pants off everyone.

You may be asking yourself why was this such a conflict for me. Seems like a real simple concept. Well, when you work in Hollywood you tend to be groomed to focus on a specific genre and do that well. People have a hard time grasping that a writer can actually write more than one type of story. They love to put you in a box and say "You stay here and write this type of story." Now that I've grown older and somewhat wiser I know that doesn't work for me.

I grew up on Judy Blume and Stephen King. Star Wars and Evil Dead. These are the types of stories that formed my creative wheelhouse. And this blog is going to celebrate both the light and dark. The Asylum has gone through a few "look" changes and that had a lot to do with me finding a voice for it. In the coming weeks I hope to make it a great mix of both those light and dark elements and celebrate those who bring them to the world.

If I can offer any wisdom at all - don't be afraid of your voice. Don't shy away from your creative choices. Don't swim in the shallow end of the pool if you really want to dive into the deep end. Embrace your goofy self and your horror-loving self (or whatever selves you have in conflict). Let them hang out with each other and mix it up. Who knows what could happen. Find the voice, shout out, and let them hear what you have to say.

And while you're at it why not blog about it. You never know who will be reading.

I'm here because I want to celebrate those voices. Those stories.

I'm here because I need to be.

Thank you for listening.