Wednesday, February 5, 2014

Adventure: Novel

I haven’t been this enthusiastic about a writing project for a long time.
I’m writing a novel, a mystery novel.
***
I’ve been writing for most of my life. I wrote stories when I was a child and continued to write fiction in college and graduate school.
I took a creative writing class while in graduate school, and I kept turning in short stories. The instructor kept telling me that she couldn’t hear my voice in the writing.
At the time, I didn’t know what she was talking about. I just gave up. I wrote some poems and turned those in. My instructor said, “I’m finally hearing your voice.”
So I just kept on writing poetry. I never tried writing fiction again.
***
Through the years, I developed a love for writing nonfiction: essays, opinion pieces, biography and memoir.
Sometimes I thought about writing fiction, but I didn’t read a lot of fiction. And I believe that we should write what we enjoy reading. The only fiction I enjoyed was the mystery/thriller.
I thought I couldn’t write one of those. It would be too hard. I would have to do too much research. I didn’t have a voice. No, I couldn’t write one of those.
Sometimes I played around with some ideas in my head—I never wrote any of it down. And I quickly pushed the thoughts aside.
No, I couldn’t write a mystery/thriller.
***
The thing is, I haven’t written steadily for a long time. I’ve worked on blog posts, of course, and for the newspaper. But I haven’t touched my memoir in a while. I felt stuck. I wanted to write more, but nothing appealed to me.
I told myself I needed to develop more discipline. I needed to push myself and eventually I’d like what I was doing.
***
Look at those last words I wrote, about developing discipline and pushing myself. Do they depress anyone else? They sure depress me.
I let the joy of writing get away from me.
***
Recently, I was lying in bed, unable to sleep. I started thinking about a character who wanted to solve a mystery. I started adding details. I started writing in my head.
I got excited. I wanted to write.
And I did. And I had a ball.
***
I don’t know what I’m doing. I have a lot to learn about putting together a mystery novel. I have a lot of research to do. But the learning and the research are not going to get in the way of the writing. I’ll be writing away amid the learning.
***
My word for this year is adventure. I started an editing business in January. My latest adventure is starting a novel. And I’m having so much fun!

Chase Bird said if I write a novel, the main character has to have a cat. Preferably a gray Tabby.


P.S. When I told Larry I was writing a novel, he said, “I’ve been telling you for 15 years that you needed to write one.”


If you decided to write a book, what kind of book would it be? Or if you’re already writing one, what kind is it?

21 comments:

  1. Hi Tina, much insight here and I appreciate you sharing your thoughts. I think it is depressing for anyone to lose one's enthusiasm and/or joy for something that we used to love! I believe that this is one of the signs of depression...losing interest for things that we love.

    If I were to ever write a book it would be something to encourage others and make them smile. Something like the Chicken Soup for the Soul series compiled of true and inspiring stories.

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  2. Oooooh, sign me up, I'll read it! For the most part, I've moved away from reading fiction, but the one form of it I do enjoy is definitely a good mystery.

    If I were to write a book it would be a memoir. My mom (and my former psychologist) always told me I should write something chronicling my experiences. But I definitely don't have the writing bug like you do, so I think I'll just stick with my blog for now!

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  3. This is amazing news Tina! Such amazing news. Very inspiring. I am excited for you!

    If I decided to write a book, it would be an espionage novel :)

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  4. Oh Tina that is so exciting. I should take your advice I let the love of writing get away from me too. Can't wait. A mystery I love it. Hug B

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  5. This is so exciting! I love mysteries - and fiction in general. It's also wonderful that Larry is so supportive. I'm very very excited for you!

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  6. how exciting! i'm so happy for you!

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  7. so fun!! i love mysteries. & vampires ... but i think that area has kind of been worn out ... but you never know. ha. ha!! ( :

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  8. Good for you -- I think adventure and mystery go well together. It's my favorite genre to read but I know I couldn't write one -- I'm terrible with plots! How inspiring!

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  9. how awesome! i hope it develops into a robust story!

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  10. I bet it'll be great! I would write juvenile fiction, if I wrote. Slightly edgy stuff.

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  11. Go for the novel! It takes a good reader to read a novel.
    Me ! A book! Sure . My biography. Why haven't I done it. I'm never been willing to put the effort into the research.

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  12. Look at you go! That's awesome. I can hear the excitement in your "voice." Can't wait to hear more about it. I'm sure there will be moments of drudgery, but keeping your eye on the prize should help you overcome that.

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  13. Woo hoo! Congrats! I had a sneaking suspicion you had some fiction writing inside of you! You have found the key, too...to keep the joy of it. That gets harder at the revision stage, but the more it feels like play, the easier it will be for you.

    I am working on my second novel, which I consider women's fiction, though this one is somewhat more mainstream. I'm submitting it to several contests this month. I've decided that spring and summer are good for writing new work, so I'm going to work on a nonfiction gardening memoir-type book. I still have a "problem child" novel in the drawer waiting for me to get back to it at some point. I haven't given up on it!

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  14. Look at you, you adventurous person, you! Love the excitement of this post. I've finished my memoir......still trying to find a publisher!

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  15. your enthusiasm is infectious!! i don't know what i would write about, i'm not sure i have a story inside. perhaps i would write a book about keeping your joy alive and how to do that!! i could write a bird book ;)

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  16. That's great!! I have a friend who swears we all have a novel of some kind in us. Maybe she's right. I often think that if I could just get a hold on a reasonable plot, I would love to figure out how to write it out. It would probably be a murder mystery for me, too, as that is my very favorite kind of fiction. I think Chase Bird would made a great protagonist.

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  17. Good for you, Tina! There is tremendous joy in fiction-writing!

    My newest novel is about a girl whose childhood enemy moves back to the island and how they deal with one another after six years apart. :-)

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  18. You can tell your cat that there is already a series of mystery books from a cat's point of view. Tell him to Google A Cat DeLuca Mystery.

    And you. Write on!

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  19. I love mysteries, they are my favorite. Wish you all the best on your novel.
    Thanks for the visit and comment.
    Have a happy weekend!
    Eileen

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  20. It would be a memoir, my life has been really crazy, from a early age.

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