Wannabe

Many people feel that they have a novel in them, but relatively few actually write one. There is a gap between the desire to do something and the doing of it. I have the desire to do many extraordinary things—too many to ever expect to accomplish. Writing a novel is one of the few dreams I consider important enough to put time and effort into accomplishing. Choosing to invest time in writing a novel (and a blog) means passing up on other possibilities. It’s a decision that I must remake daily--not a casual undertaking.

Why do I want to write a novel? In my second post I mentioned two reasons: my love of books and the lure of the writing lifestyle as I have imagined it.

I fell in love with books as a child and reading has always been one of my favorite past-times. When I read a good book, I become completely engaged in the story. I feel like I know the characters; like I am living in the world created by the author. I have felt acute sadness finishing favorite books, realizing I could not continue to live in that world. These are the books I reread because I can never quite leave them behind. They stay with me.

I don’t mean to imply that I live in a fantasy world—I do have a firm grasp on reality despite wanting to be an author! I’m not writing a novel as a way to escape my real life. But the ability to create and share a fictional world is a wonderful gift. I want to have that ability, and I believe I have the potential to develop that ability. I have to try.

Tomorrow I will write about the myth of the writing lifestyle.