Hi Vocal, I'm Back... cue the drumroll

Trust me folks, I really have definitely not been frolicking through the woods, as the image suggests - certainly the weather here in England is never dry and warm enough for starters, and secondly, my legs couldn't take all that activity.

No, it was nothing like that, I, like many other writers simply chose to take a bit of a break. No, not completely away from the writing sphere (quite honestly I don't reckon many writers could either.)

You know that saying..."once a writer always a writer?"

Well, it's pretty much true too.

I have supposed to have been resting and doing an awful lot less around the home these days but, have you ever attempted to keep an ex-nurse of 32-year sat down for more than a couple of minutes, ever? Ask my wife, she'll tell you that it's like keeping a chocoholic away from the chocolate aisle in the supermarket, a forgone conclusion that the task is certainly far from an easy one...

So, the plan was to have more rest and less writing hours time sat at my trusty computer but, let's forget that one shall we, because come hell or high water, rest hardly happened.

No, a writer's mind never rests.

It never stops thinking up a new story, or a new article about the latest thing since sliced bread, it never matters what time those thoughts creep in, be it mid-afternoon, or in the darkest hours of the night, as it frequently does with me.

It just never stops.

Never rests.

Yes, this is me, SpongeBob with pen & paper at 03:00 hours!

I've been over on Medium just writing, writing, ooh... and a bit more writing, and concentrating on putting together my latest science-fiction novel, which I am keeping rather close to my heart for at least the moment...

True, I've also been publishing a compilation book of science-fiction mini stories also, which you can discover below:

So, here I am, and I am glad to back with you all here on Vocal.

Which leaves me with one very big question doesn't it, as I have not published a single article since around September 2023, and it's now early February 2025!

"What have all of you been up to while I've been vacant from the Vocal household then?"

I'd love to hear from you all...

After all, there are sixty-five of you who have very kindly chosen to subscribe to me on here so, imaginably, there will be lots of stories to catch up with from you all -

So, now I am back in the fold, I will soon be bringing you the second instalment of a high-tech science-fiction story that I initial brought to you, nearly three years ago now.

A story set in in the year 2156 highlighting the disturbing & dangerous plight of Leanne Derle and the Department of Robotic Artificial Intelligence Travel Administration; the futuristic train that changed her life forever.

What happened to Leanne?

Did she survive to tell her story?

You will find out, once I have successfully completed the all important final page but, until then, why not simply stay tuned, and read what else I have to publish here on Vocal+.

Yet, back to that saying I mentioned earlier, that one about everyone of us, ""once a writer always a writer?" Just what is it that makes us sweat those tears over those umpteen sheets of blank paper (or that infuriatingly bright screen with the irksome blinking cursor, that's waiting patiently for us to get merrily tapping away at that keyboard?

Our brains are capable of conjuring up those stories that you will populate those empty pages with, or feed that hungry flashing cursor. The truth is readers, any single one of us mere mortals can write something that somebody will want to read don't you think?

It's letting that imagination of yours run free to explore ideas that you all have within that brain... your mind.

I look forward to writing many more stories here over time, and most of all, I look forward to reading many of you comments too.

See you around the Vocal universe very soon... it's there simply waiting for more food...