You Tell Me

Writing is for writing sake.

There’s nothing like the rush of sitting down at a computer and watching the world inside your head, trying desperately to capture all the emotions of all the characters, seeing what they see, seeing the world around them, what’s lurking around the corner, what’s lying in wait just a little down the road, what the kettle sounds like as it whistles to the protagonist to make a cup of tea, or how it feels when a loved one walks out of their life.

There’s nothing like the rush of knowing, more or less, what’s going to happen to your characters as their stories are told on your computer screen, but still feeling the magic – because that is what it is. Magic. Even badly written passages that you know you’re going to need to edit later on, rewrite a dozen times just to get it close to what you saw, have that kind of creative whachamacallit that makes you keep going, keep writing, just to see the story on a page.

Then, there’s sharing the story.

Writing is first for writing’s sake, but readers are a close second.

There’s nothing like the rush of having someone else read your words, your creation (and they are created, even if, when you write, they feel removed from the action – more like an archivist than a creator, even in those moments when you grin through a paragraph, typing furiously, feeling like a vindictive god). Having someone with whom you can share the experience. Isn’t that what all of us are looking for? It’s no wonder that bromances, romances and romantic comedies are so popular. Nothing like a good ol’ love story (even if it’s between two heterosexual men) to give an audience hope that they won’t die alone, lying in a hospital bed with nothing but the quiet beeping of a heart monitor for company.

Seriously, though. I love you guys. I really do. Even those of you I’ve never met. You’re my readers, and I love you for it. Having you guys along with me on adventures (in writing) makes writing a social affair. Maybe there isn’t the immediate gratification of seeing someone smile, reading body language, hearing your tone of voice, or having you buy me a glass of something really nice (ahem – if anyone feels like buying me a drink. . .), but knowing you guys are out there reading my words, sharing these worlds with me, is a humongous privilege. Thank you.

There’s Zen Motherfuckers, the novel I’m editing, and there’s The Roadkill / Rapture Boys, my novel-in-progress, neither of which are ready to share publicly. They will get there, and soon. So, in the meantime, there’s this blog I’ve been puttering away at, posting semi-regularly.

I want to know what you think: How would you guys like a more regular schedule?

I’m thinking of setting myself up for three posts a week

Mondays would be update days, posts like I’ve been putting up for the last while – progress checks, to let you know how the books are coming along, how close they are to completion, and so on.

Wednesdays would be shout-out days. Blogs of note, artists whose work is particularly interesting, writers who’ve recently released books (maybe even interviews), and interesting creative projects from interesting creatives.

Fridays would be story days. Pieces of flash fiction, once a week. Eventually, when there’s enough material to justify it, I could self publish a larger book (with a mix of published and unpublished shorts) – but, once a week, in sickness or in health, a new short story for you.

What do you think? Is this a good schedule, or should I tweak it a little? Is there anything I’ve missed?

Let me know in the comments below!