An Open Letter To My Friends

This has been and continues to be an exciting time in my career. My name is starting to get out there, and wonderful opportunities present themselves to me constantly. For the first time, I feel that I am starting to earn the title "writer".

I want to keep going forward. To do that means I have to keep writing. I can publish no poems, short stories, or books unless I sit down to write them. The work of a writer is very lonely and requires hours upon hours of dedication. For others, especially non-writers, it may be difficult to understand the sacrifices a writer has to make to hone their craft and grow their career. All they see is a friend who isn't around as much as they used to be, someone who doesn't seem to have time for them anymore.

To my friends who have sent me e-mails and text messages, who have called to see how I am, who have sent me their well-wishes and their love, please know how much that means to me. It would have been so easy to forget about me. I know I'm not as available to hang out as I used to be. That's not going to change. Thank you for understanding and know that as valuable as every scrap of time I have is, I am glad to make time for you when I can and how precious each moment I share with you is to me. Not everyone understands. That you do shows me just how good a friend you truly are, and I can not thank you enough.

Your friend,
Brian J. Hatcher