T.R. Cliborne's Blog
October 16, 2025
I Did It!
Years ago I had this crazy idea that I would write a novel. Other than journaling and crafting terrific email responses, I didn't have much experience writing. I thought I was crazy. I wasn't a story teller!
Then I changed my lens and looked at it from a different angle. I was in the military once apon a time, then I had a career in law enforcement. The military is all about filling out papers, finding ways to write the same thing a hundred different ways. Then I looked at my career as an officer then detective. I had written more reports than I could count. I then went to court and told juries a story of facts, I put them at crime scenes, in interview rooms; I turned my reports into relatable stories. I actually had years of experience writing and telling stories.
It was that experience that I leaned into to create my works of fiction. From cultivating realistic scenes to describing the turmoil and inner conflicts of my protagonist. I found writing, even fiction, gave me a way to remove the real demons that were weighing on my soul and put them somewhere else.
I have no idea if my book will be successful. The process has been more than challenging. I suffered a catastrophic injury that led to my retirement and left me struggling with the effects of a traumatic brain injury. Writing a novel is like trying to walk barefoot through a mine of legos. Doing it with a TBI is like walking through a mine of legos, barefoot, in the dark with moving furniture.
I set a goal, I faced the challenges head on, I fought through all the ups and downs. I cried, I yelled and I felt sorry for myself. But I did it. I wrote a novel. I published a novel. I sold copies!!
Then I changed my lens and looked at it from a different angle. I was in the military once apon a time, then I had a career in law enforcement. The military is all about filling out papers, finding ways to write the same thing a hundred different ways. Then I looked at my career as an officer then detective. I had written more reports than I could count. I then went to court and told juries a story of facts, I put them at crime scenes, in interview rooms; I turned my reports into relatable stories. I actually had years of experience writing and telling stories.
It was that experience that I leaned into to create my works of fiction. From cultivating realistic scenes to describing the turmoil and inner conflicts of my protagonist. I found writing, even fiction, gave me a way to remove the real demons that were weighing on my soul and put them somewhere else.
I have no idea if my book will be successful. The process has been more than challenging. I suffered a catastrophic injury that led to my retirement and left me struggling with the effects of a traumatic brain injury. Writing a novel is like trying to walk barefoot through a mine of legos. Doing it with a TBI is like walking through a mine of legos, barefoot, in the dark with moving furniture.
I set a goal, I faced the challenges head on, I fought through all the ups and downs. I cried, I yelled and I felt sorry for myself. But I did it. I wrote a novel. I published a novel. I sold copies!!
