Salted Wetzel turns 2!

Join me in celebrating two transformative years of creativity, exploration, and connection at Salted Wetzel—where every struggle fuels the passion for writing!

birthday cake made of a salted wetzel with a "2" candle

Happy Birthday, SALTED WETZEL WITH A SIDE OF MUSTARD

Two years ago, I began Salted Wetzel with a Side of Mustard as a space to explore different writing, promote my novels, and grow a community.

Each Friday, I have released a new edition of Salted Wetzel. In that time, I’ve:

• Published 25 original stories (including two full serials and one in progress)

• Participated in 11 Prompt Parties for flash fiction (A limited time to come up with a new story based on a prompt)

• Interviewed 11 independent authors

• Given 13 updates on the writing journey

• Shared 24 Fridge Philosophies

• Written 24 random posts from streaming and book recommendations to reflections on getting older.

But two years in, I continue to ask myself:

Am I a writer?

“Amateurs sit and wait for inspiration, the rest of us just get up and go to work.” Stephen King

I think that’s true for many of the passions we hold and the crafts on which we embark. If we paint, are we painters? If we garden, are we a gardener? If we create out of wood, are we a carpenter? If we golf, are we a golfer?

For many, the delineation is deriving monetary compensation from that activity. If I’m playing golf, am I deriving a financial benefit? In that sense, I’m an anti-golfer. There is a financial benefit if I stop and never pick up a club again.

But what if I’m embarking on something creative? Fame and fortune eluded these artists, yet they are considered masters. Mozart died penniless and was buried in an unmarked grave. Emily Dickinson, George Orwell, and Franz Kafka didn’t earn their due until after their deaths.

Another argument is that if you write, then you are a writer. I’m not sure if I subscribe to this theory either. Does someone who writes because it’s an assignment a writer? Sure, the writing task was completed. But what was the purpose of their process? To complete an assignment or to explore themselves, their writing, and ultimately their creation?

“There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.” Maya Angelou

How many times have I paused from typing onto a screen to look up at the ceiling and wonder what the heck I’m doing? There are shows to watch, rounds of golf to play, and beers to drink. Yet, I sit with my fingers roaming on the keyboard. Any writer who says a story comes fully formed from their head is lying. There is meticulous thought and rethought that goes into understanding the elements of a story, the motivations of a character, creating curiosity to keep the reader interested, and more.

But… that’s what I love. It’s my favorite part of the process. If creating a story out of my head were easy, then I might not find it fulfilling. There are moments when a revelation of a character or a scene pops into your head, unlocking possibilities that weren’t there a moment before. And when you capture them, and you find deeper resonance, there are literal chills that come to you. That is what defines the writer or any craft that touches us personally.

“The writer's only responsibility is to his art. He will be completely ruthless if he is a good one.” William Faulkner

What I’ve learned these past few years is that when you dive deep into the story, there is nothing else. Every sentence has a purpose. Every character trait tells its own story. And sometimes, you write a whole character, scene, or dialogue that doesn’t move the story forward. A writer knows that the flow of the story is paramount, and even when the dialogue or a line is perfect, it may be cut. “Killing your darlings” is the phrase used, and sometimes it’s wrenching.

Also, other hobbies seem to fall out of favor. Every moment golfing is a moment not working on the story. Every break you take to doom scroll is time when your characters are stuck, unable to move. Balance is preferred, but balance doesn’t coexist with obsession, which is how writers get with a story.

"The business side of writing is not the same as the creative side, but it’s necessary. You can’t eat your book." Margaret Atwood

In a first novel, there is a sense of diving out of an airplane or running a marathon. You set out with the purpose of passing an internal test. Can I do this? Can I set a goal and reach it when I don’t have personal experience of what it will take?

Like a runner completing their first marathon, I wanted to take the challenge again. But now I knew more about writing and publishing, and I learned from experience that writing and publishing a book doesn’t mean advances, book tours, and a villa on the coast. Likely, it meant living on two sides of publishing - creative and publishing.

Founding OT Press was an acknowledgment that for me to be a writer, I needed to understand the commerce of writing. I couldn’t spend thousands of dollars on editing, production, and marketing without bringing in money to offset those costs. At the same time, I have a comfortable, regular job, and I need to be realistic with my expectations. In my dreams, I could create a writing career where I write full-time and earn enough income to replace what my regular job pays me today. And some would say, “Go for it! Follow your dreams.” But here’s what I’ve found. I like the regular job. And, if I were to become a full-time writer, I’d be in a constant scramble for revenue. That could mean ghost writing, editing, coaching, and creating these author flywheel sales systems. At the end of the day, I’d be spending less time on the writing I enjoy. Therefore, I created a mission statement to guide me, even when the shiny things (podcasts, marketing schemes, rapid release genre series) look enticing.

Sharing a self-sustaining fictional world of characters who reflect humanity’s foibles, humanity, and grace.

Revenue Neutrality is the goal. And if I make a profit, that goes back into craft, development, and the business.

I’m not alone. A growing number of authors are choosing to self-publish over traditional routes because it offers more control over content, marketing, and profits. According to the Publishers Association, the number of self-published titles has surged. In the U.S. alone, it was estimated that over 1 million self-published books were released annually by the late 2010s. By 2021, self-publishing accounted for approximately 30% of all new book titles published in the U.S. This percentage has been on the rise, reflecting a growing acceptance and visibility of self-published works.

"The process of writing is not a simple one; it involves a deep struggle with oneself." Virginia Woolf

So here we are, two years into my Substack journey. Whether you’ve been here for two years or two hours, I welcome you to this side of the internet and Substack as I explore the stories I want to create, the ideas I want to explore, the processes I want to share, and the random thoughts I have about life, books, and streaming entertainment.

Happy Birthday, Salted Wetzel!!!

Side of Mustard

If you didn’t get a chance to watch or listen to this podcast, this is a great opportunity to hear some of our favorite baseball movies, what they mean to us, and suggestions to keep the game going even on an off day. Big kudos to Molly Knight and Mark Kolier, , Gordon Kolier, Scott Bolohan, and Kelley Franco!