#13. What's it like to write a book?
The first in a new series of posts on the multidimensional creative rollercoaster of moving a novel out of your brain and into the world
One of the great parts of writing for young readers is the questions. Written, shouted, or nervously enunciated, these inquiries can be sharp, pedestrian, pragmatic, random, hilarious, strange, direct. Normally I answer these queries quickly. But this one stumped me:
That's not an easy answer! First of all, it's different every time, and I’ve published 15 books to date. At several points during the process I convince myself I’ll never do it again. Then there are moments when I think I have the best job in the world. Next to a backup NBA point guard, anyway.
Since I haven’t been able to answer this kid's question concisely, I'm going to stretch my reply out over the next eighteen months or so. Why such a long time? The first draft of my next novel is due in early July. Then the story will move through editing and revisions before eventually heading out to stores in August of 2024.
Currently, the novel is mapped out. I’ve written many, many pages. I know the beginning is broken but don’t know how to fix it. There are gaps between chapters. Chasms, really. I suppose I’m stuck. In admitting this, I’m reminded of a certain fisherman with a writing problem, who once remarked to a friend that penning letters was a great way to keep from working. If everything was going beautifully, I probably wouldn't be working on this newsletter.
But I’m going to turn it around.
Tomorrow.
Sponsor’s Note & News: Despite inquiries from major global brands and alien civilizations looking to establish a marketing footprint here on Earth, we’ve decided to remain loyal to our longstanding sponsor, the novelist and science writer Gregory Mone. Here’s his message:
Atlantis: The Accidental Invasion was awarded the “Must Read” distinction by the Massachusetts Center for the Book and recognized as one of the Best Children’s Books of the Year by the Bank Street College of Education.
Atlantis: The Brink of War is coming out in paperback on April 4th. The paperback is kinda beautiful, too.
My latest collaboration, a nonfiction book on robots written with Daniela Rus, the superstar director of MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab, is due out in 2024.
I switched barbershops.
My son beat me in one-on-one but I pretended my back hurt.