A Novel Project
Photo by Patrick Tomasso on Unsplash
Ever since I can remember I’ve always wanted to write a novel; a sprawling epic with an immersive world full of characters who readers could feel and identify with. It was always just a spark of a notion in the back of my mind that would surface from time to time after reading a really good book, but I never had a story that felt like it had legs. I share a passion for books with my dad, who exposed me to some of the greats like Hemingway and Conroy, two of his favorites. I admired Hemingway’s ability to draw me in to his books with such simple and succinct language that I’d often wonder how he packed so much punch into so few words. Pat Conroy had a way with prose that tantalized my senses and the ability to paint a such a captivating and honest picture of the South where I grew up. These writers and many more fanned the flame that one day I might write a novel of my own.
Looking back roughly one month ago, I couldn’t tell you what sparked it, but I’m now well into the first draft of my first work of fiction. I’d like to think the idea came about on a visit back home in March, but the beginning of it was a blur. I just remember sitting down at my computer and starting to write the first chapter. I had no real direction for the story at the time, just the excitedness of actually doing it. As the days went on and with much help from my wife, a real story started to emerge from the scattered bits of lived experience in my brain.
Thus far the process of sitting down every day to write has been a mixed bag of pure exhilaration and crippling self-doubt and loathing. I’m learning that writing a book is more an act of showing up every day despite the roadblocks, and just putting in the time. I’ve consumed a copious amount of videos, interviews, podcasts and more on the art of writing and even attended a couple of workshops. Writing is not without its difficulties, as is the case with any creative pursuit, but I truly feel like I have found something that I love doing.
I’m writing this post today because I thought it might be a fun project to chronicle the journey of writing this book here on my website, in part to keep myself accountable, but also to provide insight to anyone else who might have the inkling to write a book themselves. There are hundreds if not thousands of resources to help new writers on their journey, but my intent here is not to teach, but to share my experiences, triumphs and defeats along the way, and to tell you what I’m learning. I’m also very interested in connecting with others who are on similar journeys, and sharing and learning from each other.
At some point I’ll share a bit of what my novel is about, but for the time being I’m keeping it close to my chest while the story and characters continue to percolate. If you’re interested in following along on my path to writing a novel, I’d encourage to you subscribe to my newsletter (I promise I don’t spam people), and follow me on Instagram and Twitter. Yes, I’m back on Twitter despite my better judgement. Thank you all for reading and stay tuned for more in the coming days!