Why the Details?

It occurs to me that many of you are wondering why I am sharing so many details about the process of writing this novel. After all, it spoils the plot details for anyone that wishes to read it and it exposes a great deal of my own hard work to the world at large with no particular benefit to me. Permit me to explain.

First, I am doing this as a hobby. As I am writing this series of posts on the process of writing the novel, I am actually writing the novel. I have no actual illusions that I will make any substantial profit from this work though if I do manage to, I will be thrilled. However, I am doing it mostly for the fun and to pass time. Thus, I am deriving a benefit from the process even though it is not a financial one.

By sharing the details of the various bits I write as background information, I also am forced to think about what I am doing. It forces me to take a second look at everything and sometimes that reveals contradictions and other problems. It also means that I have to organize my thoughts when I analyze any particular aspect of the process and that is invaluable to a person attempting to write anything.

Most of all, however, I know myself. Odds are pretty high that I will not finish this project for various reasons. In that case, I do not wish the entire creative effort to exist solely in a few files on my hard drive and in a sheaf of nearly illegible and indecipherable notes. By including all the details here, I am ensuring a more permanent, and, more importantly, legible record of it.

I also hope that by sharing the details of my work, others will be inspired to write or to share their own work. Perhaps it will start a new trend in literature but I have no illusions that I am the first to do this. Still, by sharing my initial work and the various stages along the way to the final work, including the missteps, I hope to illuminate the fact that writing is not a simple process nor always a pleasant one. But I also hope to eliminate some of the mystery and possibly mystique surrounding the process.

Most of all, I hope that by sharing the non-polished initial stages of the process, others will be inspired to share their work. The world cannot help but be enriched if the literary works that currently lie fallow are shared, even if only a fraction of a percent of them are any good. Most importantly, however, is that it is the readers that determine what is good, not the writers or publishers, so why not allow the readers the option to decide that your work is good? So, there is also an element of practicing what I preach in putting all this online.

Finally, I should note that anyone who does not want the actual story spoiled can simply ignore these posts and go about their day in the hope that I will someday finish the project. I am most certainly not forcing any of you to read anything I write!

I should probably note that I am more than happy to see comments criticizing any element in this process. I have no doubt the final product will be improved by any feedback I do receive, constructive or otherwise.

Flames away!

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