Novel Ambitions

For the Next Month, Finding a New Dream to Chase

WRITERS WRITE, I posted early this year, and the freelance career I launched with that axiom in mind has gone better than I had hoped. Like so many of us who put fingertips to keyboard, though, I have a loftier goal in mind; more a dream, really. I can't say I have the Great American Novel clattering around in my brain somewhere, but for years I've harbored the desire to get some fiction published. Life has consistently gotten in the way, but more than that, I've never committed myself to the kind of discipline it takes, and there's probably been a fair share of fearing failure mixed in there.

Well, enough is enough.

In a decision that will (a) launch me into the next stage of my career, in which I become the new Michael Chabon; (b) change very little in my life, but give me the confidence to keep trying; or (c) drive me batshit insane, I'm taking a crack at National Novel Writing Month. It's a yearly event that invites writers to spend November writing a 50,000-word work of fiction. It's completely on the honor system, and there are no prizes for the winners, other than the satisfaction of saying, after years of waffling, that you've written an honest-to-God novel. Some past participants have had their efforts published, which is pretty damn cool, and of course there's a small part of me that says, "Hey, that could be me!" More importantly, though, I want to prove to myself that I can do this -- that I can shut everything out for an hour or two a day and just write something creative. Because if I can do that for a month, and produce something at the end that's worth spending time on shaping into something I can be proud of, I just may be able to start chasing that dream after years of musing "What if ...?"

I may flame out after a week, but it costs me nothing to try. Well, except, perhaps, my sanity. And, uh, time spent on jobs that people are actually paying me for.

Hmm. Why am I doing this again? Oh, right, chasing the dream.

Comments

[Bill]

Good luck...chasing the dream is cool...selling your book to a movie company is priceless!

[Tom Durso]

Thanks, Will. I'd be happy to publish a book that no one but wife and mom read ...

[Mom]

Oh, you know me so well!

[morneau jerseys]

Well, this submission is in fact worthy theme sweet. I agree with your conclusion, and look forward to your call update. Just thanked not only enough, in your writing dream-like clarity. I will seize your RSS feed to stay once notification of any updates. Good work and much success in your company's efforts!