In preparation for my next novel, I looked back on my experiences as a younger man. Many of these instances have been recorded previously. Fortunately, there's still plenty left to explore in future work. I remember my glory days, not so much as periods of enjoyment, but life lessons full of struggle and the feeling of helplessness. I was challenged daily. I was full of piss and vinegar. I wanted more and felt like it would take forever to reach peaks. Indeed, it took years. The writing, my career, and my progressions in life still make me feel like I was a late bloomer.
Almost nothing has ever come easy to me. I've had to work and be patient. It's only within the past couple of years that I feel I have a greater sense of control. Even when things don't work out exactly as I want them to, they have the tendency to fall into place one way or another. Maybe it's luck. More than likely, it's because I'm seasoned and have a better grasp on how to accomplish my personal and professional goals.
Much has happened for me in 2016. I proposed to my girlfriend, we're getting married next year, I started a new job months ago, and we're going through the process of closing on a house. Marriage, a career change, and first time home ownership: that's something.
In the midst of all of these major life progressions, I'm compelled to write another novel now more than ever. It will reflect these ideas of changing: of settling down into a new stage in life. As I've mentioned in previous posts, my literary alter ego grows as I do.
While I don't face as many personal struggles as I used to, I still have long term challenges that involve heading towards unfamiliar territory. Soon enough, my future wife and I will start a family. Every stage in life provides us with unique experiences. We take what we have learned and build upon it to be the best we can humanly be. Amazingly, there's still so much for me to do.
Wednesday, November 30, 2016
Wednesday, November 23, 2016
Short Stories and Novels
In the world of fiction, short stories are knights and novels are kings. They both bring something important to the table. While novelettes and novellas might be seen as inferior, they have their own places too. I've enjoyed working on all of these forms because their degrees of length and scope allow for a variety of possibilities.
The novel, whether its simply a novel or the Great American Novel, continues to serve as a measurement for excellence. When I was starting out, I knew that I wanted to write a novel. The only things holding me back were my lack of experience in developing the craft and inspiration.
It was after college that I wrote a short story. It was a reflection of my state of mind as a post-grad with bleak prospects for the future. I put out my thoughts, my frustrations, and my hopes in that short story. I gave it some time to settle and when I went back to it, I saw that there was something. That something is what helped me use the short story as the basis for my first novel, "The Other Side of Grand."
From there, a literary universe was created and expanded. More often than not, my short stories were originally ideas for novels. As with many ideas, they aren't always fully realized because the creator simply doesn't feel them or attentions drift to other potential projects. This happens to me constantly. It used to bother me because I felt like I couldn't be committed to all of my ideas. The simple truth is that a writer has to decided what he wants to pursue and determine which ones are simply interesting ideas. After all, we don't have all of the time in the world and it takes effort to write decently. If you don't believe in a story, you shouldn't continue writing it.
This is what I've kept in mind when coming up with stories ideas. I've recently thought of a few short stories to create, but I don't feel all that motivated to write them. What I do want to write is another novel. This one is going to be another novel centered on my literary alter ego, Kai Furuya. As I'm going through major life points at the moment, it feels appropriate for me to continue Kai's story. When I grow, so does he.
The novel, whether its simply a novel or the Great American Novel, continues to serve as a measurement for excellence. When I was starting out, I knew that I wanted to write a novel. The only things holding me back were my lack of experience in developing the craft and inspiration.
It was after college that I wrote a short story. It was a reflection of my state of mind as a post-grad with bleak prospects for the future. I put out my thoughts, my frustrations, and my hopes in that short story. I gave it some time to settle and when I went back to it, I saw that there was something. That something is what helped me use the short story as the basis for my first novel, "The Other Side of Grand."
From there, a literary universe was created and expanded. More often than not, my short stories were originally ideas for novels. As with many ideas, they aren't always fully realized because the creator simply doesn't feel them or attentions drift to other potential projects. This happens to me constantly. It used to bother me because I felt like I couldn't be committed to all of my ideas. The simple truth is that a writer has to decided what he wants to pursue and determine which ones are simply interesting ideas. After all, we don't have all of the time in the world and it takes effort to write decently. If you don't believe in a story, you shouldn't continue writing it.
This is what I've kept in mind when coming up with stories ideas. I've recently thought of a few short stories to create, but I don't feel all that motivated to write them. What I do want to write is another novel. This one is going to be another novel centered on my literary alter ego, Kai Furuya. As I'm going through major life points at the moment, it feels appropriate for me to continue Kai's story. When I grow, so does he.
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