SO CLOSE
Posted on January 2, 2015
I'm so close to finding the ending to We Three Meet. I'm a little frightened to seal the deal. I'm having first date jitters. I guess that's why I'm writing this blog post instead of hitting the final three chapters hard.
It's not been the easiest book to write in many ways:
1. There are no monsters or magic. It's two people meeting and seeing what develops. Without the razzle dazzle of minotaurs and dragons, I'm fearful my writing will be stripped away of its sense of wonder. I'll be honest, even though I'm an adult, I still have a very childlike appreciation of the world. Am I ready to write about real people?
2. It's got a fanciful twist, but not what I'd call outright fantasy. Meta-fiction is something that happens a lot in comics, especially if you look at the work of Grant Morrison and Peter Milligan. It's a tricky thing to get right. Often, the narrative result is maddeningly convoluted and indulgent. My hope is readers will take a shine to the idea that the narrator is peeking in on the love story and his presence is a catalyst for the characters. What would you do if you found out an author was fashioning a story from your life? Would you be okay with his snooping around as you tried to live your life?
3. It spends a lot of time analyzing the small overtures in a budding relationship. I would like to think of it as delving with an eye toward fascination and not oversharing to the point of tedium.
4. It probably reveals more of my optimistic outlook than any other novel so far. I worry that the big, bad cultural machine/zietgeist might be too jaded to embrace a book that sees happiness in falling in love.
Anyway, maybe having these doubts are a good sign. Maybe it means I've fashioned something that scares me. We'll see.
I will say that it has stirred a desire to push myself outside of my comfort zone and given me a chance to try something different. Hopefully, readers will appreciate that.
Now, back to writing a climax with merit and emotion.
I've not read anything else of yours. But this post has me curious. I think I'll start with this book - understanding that it is different for you, not your usual work. You'll need to expect a different audience will more fully appreciate it. Don't be disheartened if your usual audience isn't jumping for joy. I have a hunch this will be really good.
I am so pleased you liked Fractured. I love working with Keith on that series.
Happy to hear you are curious to try We Three Meet.