Entry #3, Old Punks Never Die...

...they just move to the back of the pit.

There are some who think that starting a punk band after forty is weird business. I am apparently not one of those people.

Which is why last Saturday I met up with my best band buddies armed with a bass, some mild lower back pain, and a few ideas for a song. I think the song was well-received by the guys, and we got enough of it down for a rough recording. I've listened to the recording a few times since then, and it still amazes me how different the song sounds aloud than it did in my head. Some parts work much better than expected, while others obviously need some polish (or, in a couple cases, a whole new varnish).

And so, for the millionth time, life has reminded me how important it is to stop worrying and just finish the thing. I like to imagine I can see the shape of the story as I'm writing it, but the truth is, I have no real idea what works or what doesn't until I've completed a draft of the story and can study my creation in its entirety.

This is much easier said than done, of course. It requires I ignore my impulse to nitpick and doubt my work as I'm writing it, and instead trust my abilities (blech!) and find ways to keep myself driven (double blech!). I don't think I've ever met a successful writer who loved their first draft. Most have told me they weren't even sure what their story was about until they were done or near-done with it. Now imagine trying to edit your story or predict its themes and tone when you aren't even sure what it's about! I imagine someone coming across a mound of puzzle pieces and trying to decide what the picture is going to be based off the corner pieces. Time and again, I have seen evidence that "doing" comes before "knowing," not the other way around.

So what am I doing, then? Well, I promised myself that I wouldn't work on any new stories until I finished editing my novel, so of course I have an idea for a short story (which I hope one day might grow wings and become a novel itself). Haven't broken ground on it quite yet, but I fear it's only a matter of time before I open that fresh Google doc and title it "New Story Ideas." At least I'm writing, right?

Outside of that, I've become engrossed in the "fantasy noir" subgenre, which for whatever reason seems to pair so well with the falling leaves and gray skies of autumn. I've been hopping between Jim Butcher's Dresden Files and Glen Cook's Garrett P.I. series. Dresden seems to get better with each novel. Garrett feels a lot different than Cook's Black Company series, and I think that's a good thing. It's a little tighter, more straightforward. Honestly, it's a lot like reading Chandler, and if you're trying to write a noir detective series in any way, shape, or form, I think that's a good style to evoke.

Oh, there is one more development: you are able to read this entry as soon as I finish writing it because MY WEBSITE IS PUBLISHED. Still a work-in-progress, but I'm happy with the direction it's heading and have run out of reasons not to show it off. Now comes the marketing and self-advertising, two things I am great at and feel completely comfortable doing.

Yay.

All Best, Always,

Gunnar

10/2/2026