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Repetition & Process

It’s that time of year again: My annual reread of Haruki Murakami’s What I Talk About When I Talk About Running.

I think this is the fourth or fifth year I’ve done this tradition. Without fail, sometime between December and January, I return to this memoir for a week or so. Why? Aside from the way it always reinvigorates my love for running during the long winter months, there’s some great insight into Murakami’s development as a novelist.

According to his recounting, (which can be found in several other places aside from this memoir) he can pinpoint the exact moment, down to the time of day, he realized he had what it takes to write a novel. It occurred on a beautiful spring day while watching a baseball game at Jingu Stadium. Dave Hilton, the lead off hitter for the Yakult Swallows, hit a double down the left field line. It was in that instant, when the ball hit the sweet spot of the bat and the sound reverberated off the walls of the stadium, he experienced this epiphany.

I’m a sucker for origin stories, mythology be damned.

There are several other moments specific to the process of writing that have stuck with me on each subsequent reading. One I will highlight here deals with the way writing remains a beguiling process, regardless of the years of experience one has in the craft:

The funny thing is, no matter how much experience I have under my belt, no matter how old I get, it’s all just a repeat of what came before.

I think certain types of processes don’t allow for any variation. If you have to be part of that process, all you can do is transform—or perhaps distort—yourself through that persistent repetition, and make that process a part of your own personality.

—Haruki Murakami, What I Talk About When I Talk About Running

Each time I return to this section, I find my own writing practice more closely aligned to this philosophy than the previous year. In some ways, rereading this book has become an integral part of my own process.

2024. What a whirlwind. I landed an agent and sold my first novel—something I have been working toward for years. I became a dad which has been the most transformative experience of all, though it came with its own adjustments (like having to bow out of my first triathlon). I also celebrated five years of sobriety, a milestone that’s shaped much of who I am today. The book club I started with Patrol Base Abbate marked its fourth year, growing to include over 900 veteran members from every branch of the military. My nonprofit, The Literature of War Foundation, entered its third year, and with the incredible work of our team, we facilitated 30 free book clubs for active-duty military units worldwide, donating over 1,000 books in the process. I’m honored to be part of something that continues to make a difference.

So what can you expect to find here in 2025?

Well, the novel I sold will be published in the fall so I will be sure to share updates as we get closer.

I’ll be posting episodes of my interview series podcast, The LitWar Podcast, past and present with some reflections on the conversation. Conversations with the likes of Phil Klay, Sebastian Junger, Emily St. John Mandel, Joseph Earl Thomas, and many more.

I’ll also share some updates about LitOfWar and all the great work we are doing over there.

More than anything, I want a place to play around with ideas about literature, writing, etc. where the stakes don’t feel so high. Substack seems the best place to do so. I am going to attempt to resist hoarding my words and write a little more freely here. I’ve been following some stellar accounts over the last few months and want to join in on the conversation. So feel free to hit subscribe if you want to stay in touch!