Working On My Novel

I-5 Southbound through San Diego, CA

Certainly, I could be riding my motorcycle through the back country of Southern California. I mean, it's sunny outside today. Except it's been snowing here! While it's still 58 degrees F (14.4 C) in downtown San Diego, there's still a blanket of white stuff further inland where all the good riding is.

But lately, I've wanted to put more effort into creative writing. For one, this blog is a creative writing outlet. It helps me get back into my head when I feel the need to check out of reality.

For the past year however, I've been working on a novel. I've had several chapters written, but have also gone through several revisions.

At first, I came up with an outline. But that didn't go so well. I kept changing the outline over and over. Then I came up with a shotgun approach, where I identified characters, and wrote small stories of their backgrounds. Then I developed a timeline of events that leads up to when my novel begins. A lot of what I've been writing thus far is that sort of material, which may never make it into the novel, but certainly helps me identify the plot and character development.

And the odd thing is that I don't really read novels.

Which is probably why it's taking me so long write one.

As for what the novel is about, well, I don't want to divulge too much right now. But it's a lot of things. For one, it's science-fiction. However, it's not about alien worlds, time travel, or intergalactic battles. It's more about the struggles between religion and politics, technology and nature, corporatism and individual liberties. Yet, it's also about the symbiosis of polar opposites, similar to how police cannot exist without criminals, or empowerment cannot exist without oppression. At the middle of it all is a young man trying to understand who he is and where he fits in. The novel was inspired by my experiences growing up as a child, my time in college, and the recent years motorcycling across the USA and Canada.

The last few years, Sash and I have been following the efforts of Martin Lastrapes. He authored a novel, "Inside the Outside", which he self-published. Sash met him at a book event up in Riverside County and the two have done book-signings at various shops since then. Today, Martin spends much of his time at book events, writers workshops, blogging, and podcasting. Compared to other self-published authors, he takes a very active approach towards marketing his book.

I'm not sure what kind of income Martin is getting from noveling, but I thought about trying my hand at what he does.