Travis I. Sivart's Blog

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Today I’m announcing a brand new addition to my Substack publication: Dispatches from the Desk Beyond the Portal subscriber chat.

This is a conversation space exclusively for subscribers—kind of like a group chat or live hangout. I’ll post questions and updates that come my way, and you can jump into the discussion.

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Nobody Claps for Invisible Battles

I’ve been thinking a lot about invisible battles. Nobody claps for them.

Publishing a book? People notice.
Launching a podcast? People notice.
But months of notes, outlines, messy drafts, and marketing grind? Silence.

So this time, I’m clapping for the invisible battles out loud—and sharing them with you. And in the past six months, I thought I had “nothing” to show for it. But then I looked closer…

⚔️ Creative Groundwork (aka Invisible Wins)

Villain Us → Prologue + a messy Chapter One drafted, plus 4...

Thanks 2025, the Year that just Keeps Giving!

Short version up front: I saw the neurologist/vascular-stroke guy — good news on that front: they said I’m not currently at high risk for another stroke as long as I keep doing the things I’m doing. PCP (shoutout: Jessica Jemison at Aylett Family Wellness — if you’re anywhere near Aylett, go see her) is helping me get my meds sorted and has been fantastic.

Now the part that made me do a slow laugh and then immediately panic: I took the at-home colon screening (yes — the delightful “poop in a box”...

How my situation reads

Update: The Fight Keeps Getting More Expensive

I’ve been doing my best to stay strong, but here’s the truth: the numbers are catching up to me.

Between hospital visits, tests, meds, and all the fallout, the total costs have crept up to just under $70,000. I sold our second car just to cover bills. My job’s giving me the side-eye because I can’t work like I used to. And Andrea doesn’t even want me driving — not with chest pain hitting daily.

The must-pay bills: electric, insurance, the car that’s le...

Health Update

Health Update

First off—thank you. The kindness, generosity, and shares over the past two months have been a lifeline. Because of you, I’ve managed to stay afloat while on medical leave since July.

That said, the reality is clear: I can’t afford to stay home any longer. Out of work, I’ve scraped by at about $1000/month compared to the $1800/month I was making when working. Bills are piling, prescriptions are out of reach, and I have no choice but to head back to work next Sunday, August 31—even wh...

📣 “Engage More!” They Said. Cool... But HOW?”

You’ve heard the “magic formula” a hundred times:

“Just engage with like-minded creators!”
“Comment more!”
“Show up in the community and readers will follow!”

Right. Cool. Heard it.
Also heard that eating kale will make me immortal—but no one explains how to like kale either.

So this is me, figuring it out in real time, and showing you the exact recipe I’m using to go from “I post into the void” to “people are actually finding me—and buying books.”

🧭 The Goal:

I'm trying to get in front of readers who’d...

This Story Almost Didn’t Get Finished

To everyone who’s messaged, called, shared hope, sent help—thank you.

You’ve kept me going when the only thing louder than the heart monitor was the voice in my head saying “don’t be a burden.”

BUT…
I’m scared. I’m broke. And I’m exhausted.
I’ve been trying to write this post for three days, but every time I sit down to type, it feels like lifting bricks with a broken rib.

🚨 I didn’t want to write this. But I have to.
Every time I open the page, the words stutter and stall.
Maybe it’s stress.
Maybe it’s...

My Muse is Drunk and Belligerent: Writing When You’re Not Inspired

Let me tell you something that no motivational quote on a sunset background wants to admit:
Sometimes, the Muse is an uncooperative little bastard.

I’ve been creating stories for over forty years, and publishing them for two decades. That’s enough time to watch several publishing trends rise, crash, and get repackaged by a TikTok influencer as something new. I’ve self-published over 46 books, and I’ve been published by others. And in all that time, here’s the truth that keeps showing up like a cat...

✍️ Mid-July Update: Cats, Conspiracies, and Chaos (So... Business as Usual)

Hey there, you glorious hums—

We're halfway through July, and I’m still alive, still typing, and still being harassed by my cats. Progress on Villain Us: One for the Money is officially back on track—and not only is the crew coming together like a dysfunctional found-family sitcom, I’ve had a few lightning-bolt moments that tie this book directly into other series.

(Yes, TALON, Silver & Smith, and even the Portals may be implicated. No, I won’t apologize. Yes, it’s going to be beautiful.)

🎥 Want to...

I Couldn’t Find a Place I Fit In… So I Made My Own

There’s a special kind of loneliness that comes from trying to fit into rooms that weren’t built for you. You know the ones—where everyone’s speaking a language you almost understand, wearing masks you didn’t get the memo to bring, and performing a script that makes you wonder if you missed rehearsal.

I tried those rooms. I tried fitting in. It was exhausting.

So I did what most stubborn creatives do when the world keeps handing them ill-fitting uniforms and pre-approved scripts.

I burned the damn ...