Getting Back in Gear: Plans for the Future with My Writing Career and My Blog

Hey, everyone. JDE here.

As of late, I have been very busy with my side projects, so much so that I’ve haven’t gotten enough time or energy to check in on you guys outside of my “JDE on Medium” segments. Lately, I’ve been so caught up with life that it’s easy to forget about my main writer profile and platform regarding my stories on Amazon. And since it’s the summer rush, I’m very busy with keeping myself occupied with my side projects. But I hope to make some changes very soon as I get back on my feet after spending this weekend with a nasty sinus infection that required bed rest. Even now, I’m feeling stuffed up. Hopefully, I can start creating more blog posts in the future. 

Anyway, I’m still letting the rough draft of “The Beautifully Damned and the Eternally Blessed” rest a little before I get to work with revising and editing before it’s ready for the premiere on Amazon by this holiday season. My main goal for its premiere was originally before Thanksgiving, but I decided to wait until around Christmastime so I could get ready for yet another project from my “Vigilantes Among Us” series. All the same, I want to make sure that my first-ever adult-oriented murder mystery novel is going to be a game-changing experience since it’s likely to be very controversial in more ways than one. I told myself that one day I would write this novel no matter how scandalous the storyline may become and how it might put me in a negative spotlight. I’ve been playing it safe for the longest with family-friendly novellas. It’s time for me to shake things up while showcasing a different side of myself. You might love me or hate me for this, but I’m not backing down. Once the holiday season arrives and I launch this novel, I will be taking the next big leap in my writing career.

As for this blog, there will be some changes coming this fall. Even as I work on my side projects and getting ready to edit my mystery novel, I want to make sure that I enter a new chapter of my life once my birthday arrives and I let go of any and every inhibitions that keep me from my potential. I’ll come clean and say that I’m my worst enemy when it comes to being a creator at times. I strongly believe in the old saying “you’re only as good as your last work,” so I am constantly competing against myself to create something totally new in the literary world whether it’s for my eyes only or ready for the general population or even saved for a special audience in the future. It’s a challenge to get something out because I fear of failure as a writer, of having my grandfather being proven right of me being a writer is not a real career. I want to show him that I am a great artist of words no matter if it’s a success or a failure. But there are certain stories that I can’t show him since he’s a minister and my family’s from a faith-based community. So this year is when I’ll let go all the inhibitions and start coming clean with who I really am to you all. You might give me the hook or the ovation for it, but it is what it is and I am who I can only be. Love me or hate me for it.

With that said, I will be checking in as often as possible, but there are no guarantees at the moment other than the “JDE on Medium” segments. I love you guys so much and I will see you guys later this week!

“JDE on Medium” Segment

The following is now available to read on my Medium blog page. To read more of my articles, click here.

Well, it hasn’t been an easy ride for this rising novelist. But despite moments of handling personal matters and fighting my allergies, I can truly say that I am nearly finished with my first-ever murder-mystery novella for the April Edition of Camp NaNoWriMo 2024. And after I take today to write the last chapter with tomorrow being when I work on the two-part epilogue, I’ll be letting the first draft sit over the summer before I dive back in with a fresh set of eyes and see what needs to be edited before the publication process begins.

I really want this project of mine to work out because I’ve never written anything like this before. Well, I have written a mystery novel before but I never published it and it was meant for my eyes only. All the same, I learned a lot during the April run of Camp NaNo and what it means to let myself go the distance. But there are three key points that I’ve learned this month about all that and being able to take risks.

Sometimes it’s good to shake things up. As a minister’s grandson, I was expected to keep things clean and faith-oriented. With this project, I touched on the topics that were mainly taboo in the family: the LGBTQ community, domestic violence, family abuse, sexuality, and standing up for oneself. In my conservative hometown, this wouldn’t have flown at all. And I know that this piece might be controversial when it comes to storytelling. But it’s MY story for the most part and I am willing to take chances.

It’s okay to make a sacrifice or two when it comes to writing. All this month, I expected a phone call from my grandfather to help him out with some yardwork. And when I did, I made a mental note to make room for at least one chapter a day- sometimes early in the morning- to get something done and let it set to the side. Of course, I also made sure to keep track of my progress and see what needs to be done. Still, I never let a good story go unwritten now that I have goals and desires to take my writing career to the next level.

This project helped me verify my identity as a writer. All the while, I’ve told myself that I was just an aspiring author looking forward to create the next best thing. But every time that I hit the computer and write at least one chapter (or even on this blog post), I knew that I was a writer from the start. I just had to start believing in myself to prove it. Before this year, I wrote countless of stories that were either for a specific audience of mine or for my eyes only. Now that I wrote my mystery novel, I can truly say that I am a good author with a lot of stories to tell. It’s going to take a while to get used to this feeling. But I’m done playing it safe for the most part. If I am to go the extra mile with my writing career, I need to start owning my power and not let my fears get to me.

So, where does this project go from here? Well, my novel is to take a literary marinating process over the summer before I can go back and begin the revising/editing process. I’m still keeping the elements that I’ve used, but there’s always time for some improvements to make sure that the story in general is camera-ready for the literary runways. And to anyone who wants to learn more about my project, I promise you that when it drops this holiday season, I plan to share the whole tea and shade about what to expect. For now, I am truly happy with what I’ve accomplished for this month- so much so that I am going to make plans for the July run of Camp NaNoWriMo- this time, a romance story based on the road to healing, second chances, and unanswered desires that might give my grandfather a heart attack. But hey, this is going to be MY story. If he has a problem with that, then it’s on him.

Ladies and gentlemen, the rough draft of my murder-mystery novel has been completed! After letting it rest over the summer, I will be hard at work with revising, editing, proofreading, and formatting the manuscript until it’s primed for its holiday release! Details will be kept top-secret until then, but I will announce the official summary before November.

“JDE on Medium” Segment: Writing My Vulnerabilities

The following blog post is now available to read on my Medium blog page. To read more like this, click here.

If I can step away from my writer persona for a moment?

When it comes to who I see in the mirror, I’ll admit that at times I don’t love who I see.

When I see my reflection in the mirror when I’m in the bathroom, I see a young man with autism who peaked at high school and ended up wasting his whole potential feeling like no one will ever treat him seriously enough. I see a now-paunchy and dorky thirtysomething-year-old neurodivergent young man of color who never felt like he fit in with anyone during his school or even with his family. If anything, there’s been times where I would wish that I could either be someone else or have the ability to take myself out the picture before I was born.

I don’t like my body weight (I feel like I’m a total pig at times). I hate the fact that I haven’t gotten a college degree. I hate the fact that I feel like such a pathetic loser and a disappointment in my mother’s eyes, not to mention feeling like I’m only fit to be a laborer when it comes to my grandfather’s judgmental eyes. I hate the fact that I don’t think I made any progress as a self-published author with few sales and more underused ideas for stories.

Had it not been for the fact that I can’t allow myself to end my life just yet, I would’ve done it by now.

There’s been times that I had to keep my opinions to myself because I don’t feel like no one would dare to listen. I had to put my personal needs to the back-burner so I could put on a brave face and make people happy. But when it comes to me being a writer, I can put on a new persona and dance in a masquerade where no one will see me crying tears of regret. Writing to me is one of the few stress relievers to help me cope through the hard times. I know some of y’all probably won’t bother understanding where I’m coming from because most of y’all see me as a pathetic and jealous wannabe. But this is real, folks. This is the struggle of being an autistic writer of color who still has yet to find himself. And this is one of the main sides of me that will be addressed in the days to come as I work hard to showcase a new side of me. Sue me if you must.

Off-Grid and Coming Back Online: March Madness, Camp NaNoWriMo, and More (Why I Have Been AWOL)

Hey, y’all. It may be Easter/Resurrection Sunday for most of you guys, but I am recovering from a nasty March Madness hangover. And in case you’re wondering what’s been happening since the last post, I’ll gladly give y’all the 411 with my life.

For starters, the time change completely threw me off-balance both creatively and personally with sleep deprivation, lack of motivation, and even fighting the urge to quit writing while I was ahead. But it wasn’t until the Wednesday before last that told me to either get back in the game…or lose everything that I had gained so far. So, I decided to slowly yet gradually get back into the game of writing and being an artist. From working on the outline of my Camp NaNoWriMo project (which begins tomorrow) to even writing a blog about what it means to be vulnerable as a writer (which will be shared here tomorrow morning). I even wrapped up a few side projects that needed attention before I began writing my mystery novel for April. Heck, I just wrote this post for my author website to reaffirm my decision to be an author no matter what throws my way.

Anyway, I decided that it was now time to snap out of this lethargic funk and started getting back into the game. As you know, my newest addition to my “Vigilantes Among Us/Heart of Inferno” family “Mental Flames: The Burning Memories of Skylar McNeal” is now live on Amazon and available in ebook, paperback, and hardcover formats. I intend to update the “My Books” page (which is now known as the “Vigilantes Among Us/Heart of Inferno” webpage) in due time, but you can get my novella right now.

As for my planned project for April, “The Beautifully Damned and the Eternally Blessed” will be set for production all April long. I will tell you that it is set to be 30 chapters long and I will be publishing this during the holiday season after some time of letting the rough draft rest and then the editing process in September and October. And, I am going to warn you that I intend to take a walk on the wild side and showcase an edgier and grittier storyline regarding elements of scandals, secrets, and anything that could resemble something straight out of a soap opera. I’ll admit that I’m nervous about what I’ll be writing and even more so when I do publish it during the holiday season. But I told myself that this mystery novel has to be written and I needed to share a more…darker side of my writing style. Right now, I have a good outline set up with intentions to make room for going off-script and I’ll be sharing some weekly insights on this weblog of mine about my Camp NaNo journey as I plan to write this novel in 30 days (give or take a day or two).

To close things out, I am going to make sure that you guys get more out of my author weblog once April arrives with my “JDE on Medium” segments, my short stories and poems, and even snippets of my mystery novel’s rough draft. I can’t guarantee that I’ll be updating as often as I please because life does happen. But I want to try to regain my creative life once again while regaining my personal life. Sometimes you have to step back from the screens and press pause to be able to create something amazing. Even writers from Nora Roberts to Maya Angelou needed a break. Anyway, make sure to find me on social media and follow me on my social platforms so you won’t miss a thing. For now, I am out of here! Have a blessed Resurrection Sunday and I’ll see you tomorrow with my “JDE on Medium” segment!

March Madness: A Month of Plans, Preparations, and “Mental Flames”

Happy March Madness, fine friends! 

The last two months have been rather lackluster other than my blog posts from my Medium page (which will be known as “JDE on Medium” beginning today), so I am going to rectify that with some new developments that’s been made. First off, this month will be when “Mental Flames: The Burning Memories of Skylar McNeal (the second installment of my “Heart of Inferno” spinoff trilogy) will be launched, and during the Easter weekend, no less! And as of yesterday, I have officially finished the publication process for the book through Amazon KDP with the paperback, hardcover, and ebook versions formatted and ready to go. If all goes well, then you can expect to see the announcement for the ebook version that’s available for pre-ordering and the other two versions with the ebook version set to launch on Amazon on March 29th (Good Friday). 

On Monday, I will begin yet another online book tour featuring the books in the “Vigilantes Among Us/Heart of Inferno” superhero teen fiction series to recap you with the storylines so far. I want to make sure that you guys get a copy of all my books AND even gift copies to your superhero fan in your lives. So make sure to check me out on Amazon right now and be sure to follow me on social media (click on the “Links” page) so you won’t miss a thing.

Not only that, this month is when I get more personal about my writing career through my “JDE on Medium” segments that feature my candid look on my creative process and what it means to be a neurodivergent writer of color. I’m not going to lie, I felt like I hold myself back with these kind of posts and I think that it needs to be said regarding my creative outlook. So don’t be surprised when I start letting down my walls and show a more…deeper side of myself to you. This year is bound to be full of challenges for me as I continue my writing career and it’s time that I got real with you on this. All I ask of you is to never judge me on what I have to say because that’s how I usually feel when I try to put myself out there.

Finally, I’m going to share my journey for  the April run of Camp NaNoWriMo as I get things ready for the first draft of “The Beautifully Damned and the Eternally Blessed,” my first adult-themed mystery novel that’s going to take an edgier and realistic turn from my family-friendly series. I’ll showcase my feelings and thoughts while I get the outline all set while letting you know what to expect. This year is when I’ll be expanding my horizons and trying something different. Because sometimes, a writer has to set course for unchartered waters and take a walk on the wild side. And despite my inner censor telling me to play it safe and stick with what I know, I’m going to unleash my inner Mad Hatter and show you guys my version of Wonderland.

All that and more are coming your way for this month, and I intend to go the distance and then some! Get ready, folks, because you’re in for one wild ride. Until tomorrow, have a great weekend!

Happy 2024! Revelations and Resolutions

Happy 2024, one and all! JDE here!

The new year is in full swing and I am planning to get a lot of things done for 2024 which include revising, editing, and publishing “Mental Flames: The Burning Memories of Skylar McNeal (the second book of the “Heart of Inferno” spinoff trilogy);” and getting to work with my first adult-themed murder mystery novel named “The Beautifully Damned and the Eternally Blessed.” Not only that, I want to make sure that I share more of my stories, poems, and Medium articles that charter my journey as an indie/self-published author.

My goal for 2024 is to continue to discover more about myself as an artist and as a person in general. I want to reignite my love for the arts; be in tune with my mental, physical, and spiritual health, and continue to fine-tune my writing craft while showcasing the best of my talent with all of you. My mantra for 2024 is “Revelations and Resolutions,” where I continue to know more about myself and my purpose in life while having my goals and ideas come to pass in full circle. It’ll take a lot of work on my end, but I know that I can show up and show you the best of what I have to offer. Anyway, I’m going to use a good bit of today and the rest of this week to start working on revising “Mental Flames” as well as beginning the outline for “The Beautifully Damned and the Eternally Blessed (which will be my Camp NaNo project for April 2024).” Make sure to follow me on social media and get my books on Amazon (or check out the “My Books” webpage) so you won’t miss a thing!

Back in Business: Finishing up “Mental Flames” and Plans for the Future

Hello, everyone! Jarrick D. Exum here!

And boy, all I can tell you is that time really does fly by when writing and getting your life back on track. Right now, I am still getting everything reorganized while working on the rough draft “Mental Flames: The Burning Memories of Skylar McNeal,” which is getting closer to being finished for the most part. I still have to work on a couple of chapters before I close it out; but I do think that he first draft will be ready before the Christmas holidays.

Anyway, I’m bringing back my writer-reveal series known as “Inside the Mind of Jay,” which are really my Medium blog posts that I usually upload there as well as plans to announce yet another book tour featuring my ongoing “Vigilantes Among Us/Heart of Inferno” superhero-teen-fiction serials. I’ll also be sharing poems and short stories (which is long overdue since dealing with a lot of dynamic shifts and all) and even getting candid with myself as an African-American creator who is neuro-divergent. With the holiday season coming up, it’s more important to share some of my stories as gifts to all of you. Right now, you can get your holiday shopping done by going to Amazon.com and getting my books (see the list of my books below with pricing) so you can get caught up with everything right now! And be sure to follow me on social media (check out my “About Me,” “Contacts,” or “Links” for my social media accounts) so you won’t miss a thing! And soon, you’re going to see more of myself through my blogs (this one and my other one) as I share with you all my truths of being a content creator. 

With that said, family, I am out of here! I just had to let you know what’s going on and tell you that I am making my comeback official after some time away! I love you guys so much and I will see you soon!

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Get the official “Vigilantes Among Us/Heart of Inferno” Books on Amazon.com Today!

1. “A Nerd Among Heroes: The Memoir of Xavier Reeves ($12.99/hardcover; $10.99/paperback; and $8.99/ebook).
2. “Nerd of Fire, Rebel of Ice ($18.99/hardcover; $11.99/paperback; $6.99/ebook). Link:
3. “Heart of Inferno: The Rebirth of Skylar McNeal ($13.99/hardcover; $12.99/paperback; $6.99/ebook).”
4. “The Nerd’s Symphony ($12.99/hardcover; $10.99/paperback; $5.99/ebook)
5. “Totally Nerd-Tastic ($13.00/hardcover; $9.99/paperback; $6.99/ebook).

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List of Books Will be Updated upon Publication!

“Mental Flames” Chapter Snippet (Rough Draft)

“Hello, old friend,” I murmured as I took a good look at the piano that gave me endless emotional comfort when I was dealing with so much pain and misery back when I was powerless and bullied beyond repair. After seeing Mr. Wilcox and Mr. Weston off, I made my way to the local library and headed to a secluded room which held my treasured baby grand piano (the same one that no one else in the McNeal family wanted around in the home that was my prison) as I took my seat. Taking a deep breath for courage, I got myself settled before opening the lid to reveal the ebony and ivory keys and raised my fingers over them before launching into a torrent of Sergei Rachmaninoff, the first few melodies being sharp and candor.
The last several days have been eye-opening, if not jarring for me since I had to take a seat back from my duties as Inferno. And everyone kept telling me that I was facing a lot of burnout from the painful memories yet I had wanted to leave the scarring past behind completely. As I was taught by Brian, people can’t look back into the past. It can cause a lot of confusion and even rehash some painful moments that we want to forget.
I kind of wished that Lot’s wife had gotten the memo when her family was being led out of the burning cities of Sodom and Gomorrah when God’s angels were destroying the town for being full of wickedness. Maybe she wanted to take one good look of the cushy lifestyle she was leaving behind. Or maybe curiosity got the better of her.
All the same, she got turned into a pillar of salt for her crimes.
So it goes.
My case isn’t all that simplified. I was ready to leave Frisco Bay whether by death or by me and La’Keria graduating and leaving town altogether since the both of us (and my late best friend’s family) were considered flaws in the townspeople’s lily-white mindset. I was more than ready to cut the McNeals out of my life for good if I wasn’t being lulled into the false securities and acts of fake kindness on that fateful day. If I could go back in time and change everything, I would’ve taken La’Keria’s suggestion to spend time with her and the Weston/Wilcox clan before we decided to get our diplomas and got out of Dodge while the getting was good and golden.
But as they say, we can’t think about the what-ifs in life and have to take our experiences in life- the good, bad, and everything in between- as learning curves in our lives.
I soon switched to a waltz-esque version of “Cherish the Day” by Sade.
Right now, I needed to focus on what’s ahead of my life, especially when it comes down to Tyler’s request of meeting him and Denise at prison. On one hand, I felt that I needed to let them go and move forward- to let them suffer in their misery and cut ties with them completely. But on the other hand, I needed to get some answers about why they (including Brian) hated me other than being biracial. I knew that Tyler would still hate me regardless of my decision, but maybe Denise could’ve at least her time in jail to at least change.
They say that prison can change a person for better or worse.
And when it comes to protecting the people I love (especially Amari and her clan since I couldn’t protect her late cousin when I was left for dead), I needed to make sure that no one else would end another innocent’s life out of pettiness or jealousy. I couldn’t save everyone, of course, but at least I could ensure that no one else had to die.
I dove into a smooth transition of “Come Back to Me” by Janet Jackson. And I continued to play the piano for three hours straight, not caring if more and more people watched me play on and even recorded my performance. I was lost in a flaming subspace of musical glory and letting all the thoughts be refined by the flames in my mind and soul, separating the dross of the fears from the silver of the truths.
After a jazzy flourish of “Habanera” from Carmen, I had finally reached my decision. It was time for me to take the ultimate shot in the dark and seek the truth. After accepting commendations and promising the library patrons more performances in the future, I left the library and dialed up Evan. “Hey,” I said after the second ring. “I’m heading back to the apartment. And after some soul-searching and piano-playing, I know what I need to do. Tell Nick to meet us at home. We’ll talk more.”
Satisfied with the phone call, I headed for the apartment complex.
 

I’m getting back to work on this story when I’m not working on my NaNoWriMo 2023 project. With the year soon coming to an end, I need to have the rough draft of “Mental Flames” finished before the Christmas/New Year’s holiday season. So you can expect to see more posts regarding my stories and poems coming here in the future as opposed to the weeks prior. I’m using this month to work my behind off.

NaNoWriMo 2023: Making the Commitment after a Year-Long Hiatus

So, I gues I can come out and say it…I’m writing a novel in 30 days for National Novel Writing Month next month.

There. I said it.

In case you didn’t know already, I said earlier that the moment I decided to particiapate in NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month, for short) is when I would fully tell you in person. And I bet that you guys are wondering when I was going to announce it myself.

Honestly, I was keeping it to myself when I realized that participating in NaNoWriMo for the first time since my year-long hiatus back in 2022 would take a lot of preparation and discipline- not to mention me dealing with my mental, emotional, and physical wellness. For the most part, I felt like I was suffering from Impostor Syndrome (saying that I was an author when I was either dealing with procrastination woes or personal roadblocks).

But then I had the idea of actually doing NaNoWriMo since missing out last year.

And then came the time to actually sit down and beginning the outlines and character backstories (well, one character backstory featuring the MMC).

Now, I am sitting down and telling you that I’m doing NaNoWriMo with my project set up. I can honestly say that my project is going to be…a lot to handle. And with the storyline so far, I can tell that it can go either one or two ways: a fiery comeback moment with a lot of potential to be published in the future…or a hot mess that will be a part of the learning curve of what to do and what not to do as a novelist. Despite the outcome, I told myself that I would be committed to do NaNoWriMo this year and use it as a month-long writing session to fine-tune my writing craft and see how far I came as a novelist. I’m prepared to go with the flow while sticking to the set storyline, all ships that lead to creative mediocrity being burned down and all of my tools now in order (two-in-one tablet computer, notebook and pen to track down ideas and word-count progress, my musical playlist on Spotify, and a few dollars on hand to reward myself with a treat). I’m also making a schedule for my writing sessions to balance my free time and will use the other available spaces for household work, exercise, meals, and sleep.

All in all, I can only say to you that this year’s NaNoWriMo comeback tour is going to be…well, I’ll just have to play it by ear and take the challenge one day, one chapter, and one paragraph at a time. NaNoWriMo 2023, here I come!

Life Update: Job Prospects and Plans for the Future

Hey, y’all. It’s been a while, but I got some news to share.

This past week, I decided to take the initiative to apply for a job to officially start funding my writing career AND start being a working man in the real world. I’ve actually did some job-hunting off and on, but I had no leads up until this week. And I got two main leads at two different restaturants. I just came from a job interview for one job and have another one set for next Wednesday. I don’t know how this will all play out, but I am only going to place this in God’s hands. Now, should I get a solid job, this means that I’ll have to write less and find a more-balanced writing schedule. It’s a bit daunting since I’m a Black-American writer with Asperger’s Disorder (autism) and I learn by habit and routine. But I believe that I could make things work if I put my mind to it. I just need to make sure that I follow instructions, keep in mind about the quality of my work, pay attention, and don’t get upset and just walk off.

I’m not going to lie to y’all when I tell you that I’m a little nervous since I could be getting my first job soon. I don’t want to sabotage myself into losing something that could be the best thing for my life. You see, my main flaws are being too detailed and fearing of imperfection, thinking that I’m not good enough for the job and all that. But I want to make things work. When 2022 was winding down and I was thinking about my goals for 2023, I told myself that this would be the year when I’d stop the cycle of complacence and self-deprivation. I’ve been dealing with that for the past few years and I know that it’s time to start being more proactive and take the initiative to step out of my comfort zone. There’s been a few hiccups since I made my goals for the new year and I was tempted to give up a few times. But I still persevered and kept moving forward with my goals. And at the end of the day, all I can do is just take life one day and one chapter at a time.

As for my writing career, I’m just going to make sure that I’ll get finished with “Mental Flames” by the end of this year and start promoting my books more often. My plans to share some of my short stories and poems will still move forward; but again, you guys, I might be posting less should I get a job. In either case, I’ll need to reconfiguring my main career as a blogger, author, and content creator. So keep me in your prayers as I face a possibility of being a working man who wants to start saving up for what he wants in life: a good living space and other necessities alongside funding my writing/blogging career.

So, I think that I owe you guys a virtual book tour regarding my “Vigilantes Among Us/Heart of Inferno” superhero teen-fiction serials. And I think that it can be arranged, depending on what might happen next! For now, make sure to follow me on social media (click on the icons on the homepage or in the Links and About Me webpages) and get my books on Amazon.com so you can catch up on what’s ahead. Right now, I think that a day of freewriting and other writing-related plans are on the menu! I’ll let you know if I got one of the two jobs that I applied for, and I’ll even share a poem or two in the days to come. Until then, I’ll see you guys later!