If there was one word I could use to describe the current state of the site, it would be scattered.

There’s a lot here. Different creative works, blog posts across a wide range of topics… and while that’s been fun, it’s also made it harder to write for. It feels like there’s no real through-line holding everything together.

That’s on me.

When I started JTLWrites, I didn’t really have a goal. I just wanted a place to share thoughts from time to time. And honestly, that worked for a while. But now it feels like I’m sitting down to write without knowing what the site is actually for.

At one point, I thought poetry might be the answer. But even there, I ran into a similar issue. A lot of my poems share themes, and after a while they started to blur together. That might not be a problem for readers, but as a writer, it made me feel like I was spinning my wheels.

So that brings me here.

The site needs a lane. I need a clear vision for what this is supposed to be.

So I sat and thought… and thought… and thought.

And eventually, something clicked.

I asked myself: what are the two biggest things I’m actually doing right now that could shape this site?

First, I’m actively writing novels. One is being queried, one is about 80% through drafting, and another is just getting started.

Second, I have a background in English education, and I genuinely enjoy talking about how writing works—the mechanics, the decisions, the small things that make a difference.

So I figured… why not combine those?

---

The Main Vision of JTLWrites: My Writing Journey

Going forward, JTLWrites is going to shift back to long-form blog posts but with a clear focus.

Instead of jumping between random topics, I’ll be sharing thoughts, lessons, and observations from my actual writing sessions while working on my novels.

That might include things like:

• weird strategies I come up with while writing a chapter
• how I approach building characters
• things I’m learning as I work through a draft

I’ll have to keep some details a bit vague for now since these are projects I hope to publish one day. But once those books are out, I’ll be able to share more of a behind-the-scenes look at how they came together.

The goal is simple:
I get to share what I’m working on and why it matters to me, and you get a look into the process of someone actively trying to become a better writer.

With this shift, I’ll be posting once a week—every Wednesday at 8:30 AM Pacific.

It’s fewer posts, but they’ll be more focused and more intentional.

---

New Avenues: Social Media and Vlogging

This shift isn’t just happening on the blog.

I’m also planning to be more active on Instagram and Facebook—not just posting updates, but actually sharing content tied to this writing journey.

And yeah… I’m going to give vlogging a shot.

For context, I’ve dabbled in Twitch and YouTube before, but always from a gaming angle. This will be something different.

The vlogs will still center around writing, but they’ll also give a more real look at the day-to-day side of it—things like my workspace, the tools I use, and how I actually sit down and get into a rhythm.

It’s less about production and more about showing the process.

---

So What Does This Mean?

JTLWrites is becoming a space focused on writing.

• Weekly blog posts about my experience working on novels
• More active social content tied to that process
• And vlogs to give a more real, visual look behind the scenes

That’s the direction moving forward.

I’m excited to get started with this next phase, and the first writing-focused post will be going live next week.

See you then.

— JT