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The Fuck I Gave…

Posted on by Olin Lester

Welcome to the world inside of my head. You heard me right, it’s time to take a walk and
see what the fuck is happening along the inner circle of my mind. Did Stephen King corrupt me
at the ripe age of ten? My cousin Karen thinks so.

Look here Karen, maybe it was pre-ordained that in my 40’s I would take this path, but
was it King’s fault? Did his novel “The Dark Half” warp my mind? Ab-so-fucking-lutely. Let’s
face it, we read, watch TV, and as children, play—to escape reality. Does that mean I had a bad
childhood and looked to forget? Hell no. My childhood was great. I just like the crazy worlds
and adventures Stephen King offered. He taught me at a young age to unlock my imagination
and to have fun walking within it…That first novel I read, taught me a lot and allowed me to
teleport to a dark world and watch “the show” from within. King taught me that with words, he
could make magic and scare the shit out of you at the same time.

Fast Forward to 2016 and hundreds upon hundreds of read books later, and I was
recommended a book by D.J. Molles called “The Remaining.” [Side note, at this point in life I
had been a cop for sixteen-ish years, and the author of the above-mentioned novel was also a cop
in my PD.] So, I read it…and much like when I was ten years old reading Stephen King, I was
hooked! To this day Molles is one of my favorite authors and I’m proud of what he has
accomplished.

Fast forward to 2018, and I got the itch to create. I wanted to write my own novel. Just
one, see what would happen, see how to do it, and if I could actually write one. Look, I’ve had a
wild career, and life, and never thought about writing to deal with the darkness I’ve seen, but the
byproduct of writing, I found to be cathartic. More on that in another blog. Back on topic.

I sat down in November 2018, and it took me 18 months to write my first novel, “The
Missing.” There were days, and weeks, when I thought it would never come to be. But…I’m
stubborn and never quick. See, as a child, Stephen King lit a spark inside of me, that as an adult
Molles brought to the surface and made me take ownership. So, I did just that, I owned it. I wrote
“The Missing” and was scared to death to publish it. But I did. And I learned…and I improved. I

accomplished that goal on my terms, and the look on my wife’s face—the, I’m proud of you
look—was worth every bit of sweat and tears.

Fast forward to today and you’re reading my words. Connecting with me…hopefully
enjoying the stories…and the byproduct will help veterans. How? As I mentioned above, I found
writing to be cathartic and as a veteran and police officer, I’ve seen the evils of the world, which
can be cleansed through the written word. And if you’re a veteran, reading this, I promise
you—that you too can find peace through writing. Don’t believe me? Ask any Ranger that knows
me. Ask any of my Ranger brothers that have read my work.

I’ve used the word byproduct a few times for a reason—’cause it’s true. The byproduct of
writing can help process what’s in your mind. If you’re a veteran and write or want to write.
Reach out to us here at The Veteran’s Pen, we can help get you started. But the first step is up to
you.

Too Much: The Real Reason I Write

Posted on by Chad Cox

“You’re a Christian?”

“Yeah. I mean – not a very good one,” I say with a laugh.

“Well, I guess not.”

“Yeah – But that’s kind of the point. None of us are really good ones. Kind of why we need Him.”

“You got that much right,” I say after my daily conversation with myself.

I drink too much, I cuss too much, I work too much, I tell offensive jokes too much – I do most things “too much”. Yet, God still loves me regardless of my “too much”.

My “too much” is also what drives me. I joined the Army once because I wanted adventure “too much”. I started a few businesses because I want to be successful “too much”. I love my children and wife, well, “too much”. I often do things to check the box off on the list in my head “too much”.

I wrote a book because I just wanted to, “too much”. But, this time, maybe it was more than just a somewhat selfish “too much”. This time, maybe it was because I wanted to show my four girls the true “too much” in my life.

We write “what we know.” My book is a combination of people in my life. The main character is Mackenzie Granger, who, oddly, is a lot like my daughter Ellie, all the way down to the clothes she wears. Mackenzie has twin sisters, a combination of my own twin girls and my littlest one.

We learn as we write. The other characters are a little more deeply symbolic. Mackenzie and her best friend, Jacqueline, meet a group of ancient beings called the Changing. Each Changing represents one of the seven spirits of God, which, until I wrote this book, I didn’t know existed. The seven spirits are as follows:

  1. The Spirit of the LORD
  2. The Spirit of wisdom
  3. The Spirit of understanding
  4. The Spirit of counsel
  5. The Spirit of power
  6. The Spirit of knowledge
  7. The Spirit of the fear of the Lord

Each Changing gives a lesson, which is a parable that represents their spirit, much as the Bible is told in parables. Some of the Chaging’s stories are borrowed from parables in the Bible, which only seemed appropriate for the overall theme of the book, which is a parable in itself. I will tell you Gwennie represents the Spirit of the LORD. I, however, leave it to you to figure out the other spirits.

Ultimately, I wanted to write something with layered meaning. On the surface, the story of Mackenzie Granger and Gwennie is a childhood fantasy full of magic and mayhem. Underneath, deep in the crevices, it is so much more. It tells the story of my “too much”.  

My “too much” is my drive to write. My “too much” is my love for my children. My “too much” is my relationship with my friends and ranger buddies. My “too much” is my family. My “too much” is what makes me who I am. But, ultimately, God’s “too much”, the “too much” love he has for me, despite my own “too much”, is my “why”. His “too much” is the real reason I write.