Writing, particularly fiction, for me is a wonderful experience. I’ve created a world, characters, a plot, and everything else. Sure, I’m drawing from the greater pool of the known universe. Everything out there already exists, so all I’m doing is combining a few things. All invention is like this, including storytelling.
As such, joyful writing comes often for me. I recognize others have difficulties with this, and I understand some of the hurdles others face. It’s probably not too dissimilar to the hurdles I face doing higher mathematics. Actually come out I don’t understand it at all. Why doesn’t everyone find writing as delicious as I do? It’s not a question easily answered.
Several days ago, I began work on a new novella. I didn’t know that’s what I was doing at the time. All I thought I was doing was playing with an idea.
I’m having a blast. It started with a little phrase, and it seemed intriguing so I explored it further. It was about a particular sort of people, and I wondered what those people are like. One thing led to another and I’m around 20,000 words into it. I think it’ll finish in the 25 to 30,000 word range. That’s a short to mid-length novella.
It’s over the top, with ridiculous characters. It is set in a small town, that kind of town Currier and Ives and Norman Rockwell never visited. Andy Griffith never lived there and Garrison Keillor would be hard-pressed to find anyone he recognized.
I’ve been learning about the challenges of an isolated small town, pig hunting, hard candy, horses, and dunk tanks.
It’s a conversational style narrative. Warm, funny, with a dose of preposterous nostalgia.
I hope other people like it as much as I do. I’m laughing as I think about each of the characters. I know they are my own creations, but I’m excited to go on their adventures as much as I think they are.
If silly tales are your bag, I’ve collected a bunch of them in The Raging Giant Blue Goldfish: 22 Short Stories. The novella isn’t finished — more to write and then to edit. Take a look at that in the meanwhile. Plenty of joyful writing to be found.
