Checking In: The Next Chapter Begins
I know I’ve been absent from my usual weekly writing these past couple of weeks, but I’ve had a good reason. I’ve been deep in the trenches, putting the finishing touches on my next majorly published book—a deep dive into the intersections of AI, writing, journalism, publishing, and misinformation. It’s been a grueling six months, with my focus laser-locked on this project, working from the moment I woke up until I finally dragged myself to bed. Even then, sleep was often a battleground, haunted by old ghosts and shiny new worries about what the future might hold.
Yesterday, I hit send on the final manuscript, emailing it to my editor. Then, I promptly went back to bed and did nothingfor the rest of the day—a rare indulgence that felt both alien and necessary. But this morning, the familiar off-balance compulsion to write returned. It’s funny how quickly the void left by one finished project demands to be filled.
Looking ahead, I have a few irons in the fire. My dystopian cyberpunk western—a project I’ve poured close to 100,000 words into—needs to be finished. My beta readers are already threatening acts of violence if I don’t wrap it up soon. (Don’t worry, folks, I hear you!)
And I have another project percolating in my mind. Set in the same universe, it follows a brilliant university dropout who, after losing her father to a curable disease, decides the only way her generation can secure any sort of future is to crash the greed-based systems that are destroying the planet and subjugating the masses to poverty, sickness, and suffering. The working title is They Knew, and it’s been haunting me with its urgency.
I’m also grappling with what’s next for my column writing and journalism. Some colleagues have suggested I turn The Colorado Switchblade into a more robust outlet for local northern Colorado news—accountability journalism, breaking stories, and investigative pieces. While I love the idea, it’s simply not something I can manage as a one-man operation offering free content. Maybe the answer lies in collaborating with existing regional outlets that are already doing great work. I’m also considering submitting opinion pieces to publications like The Colorado Sun and other regional heavyweights.
What I know for sure is this: I’ll keep writing. It’s the one constant in my life, the thread that ties everything together.
For those wondering where I’ve been, consider this my way of touching base—and to paraphrase Twain, the rumors of my demise have been greatly exaggerated.
On another note, I’ve been exploring BlueSky, and it’s been a breath of fresh air. It feels like the golden, early years of Twitter before things took a turn. There’s a great community over there, full of folks doing the good work of defending democracy. If you’re on BlueSky, you can find me at @jasonvantat.bsky.social.
More to come later this week. Thanks for sticking with me—it means the world.
~JVT
