To Write or Not to Write

This is the situation. Life has given me some time on my hands. Not a lot, obviously, but more than I had the rest of the year. So, I could actually attempt to write a novel this summer. I was thinking doing National Novel Writing Month in June rather than November, realizing of course that NaNoWriMo actually took me over 2 months the last time so this would be a full summer project. I even have a kernel of an idea perking which is more than I had last week at this time.

So, what is keeping me on the fence about doing this? I'm questioning the purpose. Last time, I just wanted to see if I could do it. I discovered I could. That motivation is gone. I had hoped my story would be successful. I know success is what you make of it and I am extremely thankful to those who read my story and enjoyed it, but in 6 months, I sold 11 copies. Yes, that is not a misprint. It is entirely possible that I wrote one of the least-read books in history. Writing the story still had value for me as a life experience and I am glad that I got to share it with a few people, but it is hard to justify pouring one's heart and soul into a project for no reason, with no chance of success (and I am not foolish enough to believe that this one would do any better). It would just be for me and that seems incredibly selfish and stupid. 

So, I have a basic story, and I have the time (although I could certainly spend that time engaged in other worthwhile pursuits). What I lack is a purpose. Is the struggle worth it? I haven't decided.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Why Bother Writing? Here's Some Encouragement

 Why bother writing? I admit that this is a thought that has crossed my mind more than a few times lately (and by lately, I mean many of the last twenty years that I have been writing). It is hard to keep going when book sales and page views are minimal and the income produced is far below minimum wage. It is hard to see so many books out in the world with tons of reviews and sales and know that by comparison my work has failed (and by extension, I have failed), that very few people care about anything I write. To be fair, there are many writers in the same boat as me. Of course, I'm not actually able to stop writing, at least not without feeling even worse. God gave me this gift. I have all these ideas that need to get out or else they just sort of bubble inside of me if I don't work on them, taking up mental space that is better used for other tasks.   On my better days, I do realize that writing for one person matters, that perhaps a few someone's lives are a bit better...
Read more

Five Rules of Incorporating Faith into Fiction

Image
Today, I am thrilled to host Karina Fabian as a guest blogger. By day, Karina is a mild-mannered reviewer of business software and services for TopTenReviews.com. After hours, she’s a psychic intent on saving the world; a snarky dragon who thinks he saves the world all-too regularly, a zombie exterminator who just wants her world clear of undead vermin, and Catholic religious sisters whose callings have taken them off our world. Needless to say, her imagination is vast, her stories legion, and her brain crowded. When she’s not converting her wild tales to stories, she’s enjoying time with her husband, Rob, their four kids, and their two dogs.   Her new work of Catholic Science Fiction, Discovery , is now available. Five Rules of Incorporating Faith into Fiction With the Enlightenment era came an anti-religious fervor that not only permeated science and philosophy but also literature. Now, some 200 years later, the pendulum is swinging back, and people are again interest...
Read more

What Happens to the Characters in The Charter Class?

Image
  Thank you to those of you who have read The Charter Class ! My original plan was to write three more books, one for each year of college. I wrote about half of the next installment, but book sales have been rather dismal and I just didn't have it in me to spend three years writing books that almost no one would read, especially when I have other book projects in my head eager to make their way to the world.  At the same time, I felt I owed Mother John Berchmans, Nora, Katie, and Beth (and my readers) some closure. What happened to them? I decided to write an Epilogue focused on Commencement Day in 1932. I'm going to add it to the print and Kindle versions so that new readers who find the book will have the ending, but for those who have read it and want to find out how their lives play out, I'm including it here. ******* Spoiler Alert*********   Epilogue Wednesday, June 15, 1932   Katie took in the beauty of Veritas Auditorium as she waited for the commence...
Read more