Letters From the Labyrinth 453
Patience
I was going to take some time last night to write a thoughtful and sobering piece for this spot in today’s newsletter. It would have been a lengthy discourse on Venezuela and U.S. foreign policy, but unlike every single other halfwit with a social media account, I am not an expert on either of these things. I’d like to think I’m at least an armchair expert on violations of international law and the U.S. Constitution, but in 2026, those things are pretty much antiquated notions, so what would be the point?
Instead, I’d like to offer a permutation of two pieces I wrote for Patreon earlier this week, both of which were about patience, because patience is something we could all do with a little more of this year.
So, if you are an aspiring or struggling writer, this one’s for you.
In August of 1986 the ship i served on departed Norfolk and, after embarking Marine Corps units at Morehead City the next day, we set sail for northern Europe and a series of exercises with forces of other NATO nations. The cruise – highlighted by some exercises in the Arctic Circle (thus earning me and my pals the coveted ‘Blue Nose’) and visits to Germany, and England – lasted through the first week in October, after which we stood out of Dover, England and then sailed back to Norfolk.
Dan Blumenthal (who would one day serve as the inspiration for my fictional character Don Bloom) snapped this photo of me at some point during that cruise. Given the length of my hair and the coat I'm wearing, my guess is it was taken after the North Pole and still in the upper North Atlantic, so probably early to middle of September.
I was either 18 or 19 years old, depending on what part of September this was.
You see the notebook in my hand? Most days, unless it was raining, the moment I was off duty, you could find me sitting there in that particular spot, writing. I was always writing, even then. I have dozens of those notebooks from that time (this was years before John Urbancik would turn me on to Moleskines). They are each filled with terrible novels, crappy short stories, horrible poetry, and pretty great Dungeons & Dragons and Gamma World campaigns (because I was also the ship’s Dungeonmaster).
I didn't start getting published until the late 1990s. But I've been writing since I was 8 years old, and I've been writing with an eye toward publication since my junior year of high school.
It all leads to something folks. It pays off, eventually. It’s hard to hear someone tell you that, when you’ve been doing it for years and feel like you have nothing to show for it. But so much of writing professionally is having the patience and determination to stick with it.
And that goes doubly for writers from traditionally marginalized groups.
After I’d posted and written about that photo, it got me thinking about just what me and those I came up with have actually accomplished in this field. Collectively, it’s pretty impressive. And in going through some photos, I came across this one.
Left to right that’s Dr. Chesya Burke, Maurice Broaddus, me, and Wrath James White. The four of us had gone out to dinner together in Austin, Texas, and a waitress took the photo for us. This was perhaps four or five years ago?
As I said above, so much of becoming a professional writer involves patience and determination. But friends... that went triply so for these three folks right here. I know. I know because I came up with them, and the bullshit they had to deal with… Authors saying some really unkind things about Chesya (and not always behind her back). Authors making jokes that I was somehow “blacker than Maurice” (and again, not always behind his back). Wrath being denied a reading slot at a World Horror Convention (as I remember it, the official reason given was that they didn’t want to spotlight Extreme Horror, but that same convention had me, Jack Ketchum, and Ryan Harding doing readings. An angry revolt took place, and if I recall correctly, Wrath got a reading slot. But it shouldn’t have taken an angry revolt).
So, if you are a person of color, if you are LGBTQIA, if you are part of a marginalized community -- know that it will get… well, not easier. I guess it never gets ‘easier’ for you. Perhaps instead I should say know that it will be worth it. That you will be vindicated. That you will succeed, despite the efforts of those who don’t want you to succeed.
I know this because I watched my friends succeed.
I have a coaster on my desk. My mother bought it for me shortly after THE RISING hit the bestseller list. The coaster’s slogan reads:
SUCCESS IS THE BEST REVENGE
I believe that to be true.
Happy New Year. I’m Brian Keene, and this is Letters From the Labyrinth — a long-running weekly newsletter for friends, fans, and family. If you like these long form nonfiction peices that I open every newsletter with, then you should know that I write them DAILY and for FREE and post them here. You should bookmark it and check it every day. In the last week alone we’ve talked about SFWA and How To Find Readers For Your Newsletter and authors who don’t read books and the partial roof collapse at Vortex’s new (and now old) warehouse, and other assorted nonsense.
I’m serious about this less social media thing. You want to keep up with me, it’s that Blog and this newsletter in 2026.
Author Frank Reardon recently suffered a debilitating back injury, the pain of which has severely impacted his ability to work (for both his day job and as a writer). With no current health insurance, he needs help paying for medication and doctor visits, as well as temporarily assisting with groceries and monthly bills, while he waits for his worker's comp claim to be approved. I set up a GoFundMe for him yesterday, which you can find here. If you have the means, and can donate 5 or ten bucks, I’d appreciate it, as will those close to him.
Glenn Chadbourne’s special signed limited edition covers for THE END OF THE WORLD AS WE KNOW IT: NEW TALES OF STEPHEN KING’S THE STAND (edited by myself and Chris Golden) are shipping. Author Chris DiLeo proudly showed his off on Bluesky yesterday.
There are four of these covers available for purchase. They fit right over the trade hardcover editions. You can find them at the links below:
Cover 1 ~ Cover 2 ~ Cover 3 ~ Cover 4 ~ Set of all 4
A new season of KEENEVERSATIONS begins next week on Spotify and Patreon. Meanwhile, the first four episodes of season 1 are now out from behind the paywall on those platforms, and also available on my YouTube channel
Two new episodes of SECRET HISTORIES are available on Patreon, and one new one (for non-Patreon subscribers) is available on YouTube.
As always, new versions of both these programs are exclusive to Patreon first. In the case of KEENEVERSATIONS, they will not be made available to the public until 6 to 12 months after their original air date. For SECRET HISTORIES, they will not be made available to the public until 2 to 3 months after their original air date.
Currently Watching: Nobody Wants This season 2, Mayor of Kingstown season 4, Plur1bus season 1, and Fallout season 2.
Currently Reading: Marvel Comics: The Untold Story by Sean Howe (a reread) - and on deck manuscripts by Todd Keisling and Bev Vincent.
Currently Listening: Live and Unplugged From Vinyl Tap by Lera Lynn, Live In Hollywood 1990 by Faith No More, “Heart of Glass” by Miley Cyrus, Desert Oracle podcast, and Yacht Rock Radio (channel 15 Sirius/XM).
Miley Cyrus isn’t really my thing, but her cover of “Heart of Glass” is pretty great. Definitely does Debbie Harry justice.
I look forward to this time of year, because it means that Sirius/XM dusts off Yacht Rock Radio. And for those few brief months, I listen to that instead of the Bluegrass, Metal, Classic Rock, Outlaw Country, 70s R&B, and Howard Stern stations on the network.
And that does it for this week. Thanks for reading. I’ll see you back here next Sunday.
First, Brian, thank you for your service. TJ is also prior Navy and wish we would've had time up in the store to let you two squids share some nautical gab.
Second, thank you for this post. Especially for the marginalized writers, and we've seen a lot of effort out there in the sub calls with editors seeking these voices with a heavy lean. So long as that doesn't turn prejudicial toward other authors, then hell yes, it's a cleanup effort that's needed, particularly after the disgusting accounts you relayed here. It shouldn't take such a fight to get your work past biased eyes. There's enough favoritism I hear about it as it is.
Finally, I've been trying to be a big shark author since I started writing silly shit like you describe in 1984. Getting more serious about it in college, amassing my share of rejections like all of us. Enjoying spectacular success as a metal, punk and horror journalist for 16 years with side forays into NHL game analysis and local beat reporting. Switching to pure horror fiction once all that ran its course.
I have a tremendous support system and a nice audience, but your words here resonate because I have beat my ass senseless, especially all last year, and nearly hung it up until things took a pendulum swing. TJ said it as I droned it inside my head over and over: "Patience, Ray, patience. It will come."
Thank you, man. Just thank you.
SUCCESS IS THE BEST REVENGE. Hell to the efiin' yes.
The photo from '86 is a good reminder that the work precedes everything else. Writing from outside the Anglophone world adds its own layer of patience—no conventions to be denied entry to, but also no conventions at all. The notebooks accumulate either way.