If I do say so myself, I have written some really extraordinary fiction. There’s one story that began as a board game concept and developed into a trilogy filled with wizards, magic, and adventure. Another story follows an historic space mission with unforeseen complications. I should also include my young adult tale that offers a unique take on Greek mythology. And don’t even get me started on my screenplays, which cover genres from horror to romantic comedy, as well as a three-picture Superman story arc that is guaranteed to make audiences cheer.
So, why am I not growing fat and happy on royalties? Why is Oprah not promoting my latest offering? Why hasn’t my local library invited me to speak about my latest best seller? Honestly, it’s not their fault, it’s my fault. In some cases, I’ve actually written a handful of pages. For other projects, I’ve developed an outline, sketched a map, named some of the characters, considered some snappy dialog.
In other words, it’s not that I haven’t written anything, I just haven’t written anything down.
I work in public relations. Before that, I spent 15 years as a journalist and editor. I have been trained to embrace brevity and the inverted pyramid style of presenting information (most important details first, less important stuff toward the end). Immediate gratification is my bread and butter. I know that after I’ve spent several hours on a story or press release, it’s pretty much done. Oh, there will probably be some editing, but after an honest day’s work, I have a complete project that will more than likely be published in one form or another reasonably soon.
Blogging fits right in with this mindset, though the rules are a little looser with regard to style and proofreading is clearly optional. But even on a limited scale, with a limited audience, in your own tiny corner of the Internet, online publishing gives you that same rush of satisfaction. You had something to say, you wrote it down or created a short video or audio presentation, and you got your message to the masses (or at least a few followers).
Books and screenplays? Not so easy. For one thing, you can forget immediate gratification. When you’re working on a 300-page opus, it’s not like you get to fist pump every time you finish a 300-word section of a chapter. I mean, you can, but it’s a little odd. People will start avoiding you at parties if you exhibit that kind of behavior.
For me, it’s also difficult to maintain focus and momentum. Unless you are a full-time writer, you probably have to schedule your writing around work, school, chores, social obligations, family, any hobbies you might have, and Dancing with the Stars. I have a difficult time declaring that I will sit down for 35 minutes every Wednesday evening after I’ve put my daughter to bed and complete a particular chapter or section.
Despite the distractions (read: excuses) of daily life, I still plan to complete at least one of these projects in the near future. The word “near” is, of course, open to very broad interpretation. Granted, I will probably have the pleasure of being told by people much smarter than I that my work does not quite meet the literary level of rat feces, as it reads much like a 300-page press release. However, even if my novel never gets near a printing press, it will be a success.
While fame, fortune, and glory are certainly three of the best reasons to complete one of my stories, they are not my primary motivations. Long-form fiction takes me out of my comfort zone. It forces me to write differently, be creative, and substitute immediate gratification with long-term planning. Mark my words, I consider the monumental task of completing a novel to be a personal challenge, and I am not yet ready to yield.
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